The Harsh Reality of Human Innovation A new archaeological discovery in central China has turned the conventional wisdom on its head: instead of thriving in warm climates, early human ancestors were driven to creativity and innovation by harsh environmental conditions.
The findings, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, reveal that 146,000 year old stone tools from an extinct human species, Homo juluensis, were crafted during an ice age – a time when one might expect humans to be struggling to survive, not pushing the boundaries of technological progress.
The research team's work at the animal butchering site in Henan province challenges the long held assumption that human creativity and innovation are products of "good times.