研究人员发现了最古老的手工制作的绳子，它不是人类手工制作的

研究人员发现了最古老的手工制作的绳子，它不是人类手工制作的

Neanderthals were making string and cords from fibres long before early humans cottoned on to the technique, according to a new archaeological discovery.

根据一项新的考古发现，早在早期人类掌握这项技术之前，尼安德特人就已经用纤维制作绳索了。

Researchers have found a 6.2 millimetre (0.24 inch) fibre fragment which they date to around 41,000–52,000 years ago – so quite a bit older than the previous record holder, a 19,000-year-old fragment found in Israel.

研究人员发现了一块6.2毫米(0.24英寸)的纤维碎片，他们将其追溯到大约41000 - 52000年前——这比之前的记录保持者——一块19,000年前在以色列发现的纤维碎片——要古老得多。

The discovery was made in a cave in France, which would've been a Neanderthal settlement at the time. It suggests the species were smarter and more adept at crafts than we often give them credit for.

这一发现是在法国的一个洞穴中发现的，当时这里可能是尼安德特人的居住地。这表明，这个物种比我们通常认为的更聪明，更擅长做手工。

"Understanding and use of twisted fibres implies the use of complex multi-component technology as well as a mathematical understanding of pairs, sets, and numbers," write the researchers in their published paper.

研究人员在他们发表的论文中写道: “理解和使用扭曲纤维意味着使用复杂的多组分技术，以及对成对、集合和数字的数学理解。”。

"Added to recent evidence of birch bark tar, art, and shell beads, the idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans is becoming increasingly untenable."

“再加上最近桦树皮焦油、艺术品和贝壳珠子的证据，尼安德特人在认知上不如现代人的观点越来越站不住脚了。”

After discovering the fragment, the researchers used spectroscopy and microscopy techniques to analyse it and determine where the fibres had originally come from – probably the inner bark of a non-flowering tree, such as a conifer, before it hardened.

在发现这片碎片后，研究人员利用光谱学和显微镜技术对其进行分析，并确定纤维最初来自哪里——可能是未开花树木的内部树皮，比如针叶树，在变硬之前。

The team suggests that we have a poor understanding of the Neanderthals because perishable materials like this are usually long gone by the time we get to them. Tools and bones can only tell us so much.

研究小组认为，我们对尼安德特人的了解很有限，因为像这样的易腐材料通常在我们接触到它们的时候就已经消失很久了。工具和骨骼只能告诉我们这么多。

If these ancient hominids were indeed able to make string, they would have had to know about the growth and seasonality of the trees the fibres were taken from, and been able to apply some numeracy skills to twist and bundle the fibres up into yarn.

如果这些远古的原始人真的能够织成线，他们就必须了解树木的生长情况和季节，并能够运用一些计算技能将纤维搓成线。

In other words, making fibres and string is more complicated than you might realise. The researchers think the fragment they've discovered might have been a handle for the flint tool it was attached to, or part of a net or a bag for holding tools.

换句话说，制作纤维和细绳比你想象的要复杂得多。研究人员认为他们发现的碎片可能是燧石工具的把手，或者是用来装工具的网或袋子的一部分。

The research has been published in Scientific Reports.

这项研究发表在《科学报告》上。