The discovery of the Homo Soloensis fossil is evidence of the existence of ancient human life in Indonesia in prehistoric times.
These fossils are believed to come from the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. This human is considered a subspecies of Standing mana type of ancient human that could stand upright.
Some experts even argue that this subspecies has similarities to Homo NeanderthalThey are also ancient humans found in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
History of the discovery of Homo solonsis
This type of ancient man is considered the most advanced compared to other species. This discovery was the result of cooperation between several Dutch archaeologists, namely Oppenworth, Ter Haar, and J. H. R. von Königswald.
Curious about how subtypes work Standing man Has this been found? Below we provide a full explanation.
1. Discovery and location of fossils
In 1931, von Königswald and others began research in the village area of Ngandung, Sanjeran, Central Java, which is located near the Bingawan Solo River.
It is known that many traces of ancient humans have been found around the river. Fossil discoveries in the area indicate the presence of ancient human life.
The research began by finding fossils of vertebrate animals, and after further excavation, they found two bones at the top of the head of an ancient human.
It did not stop there, in 1933, his research became increasingly fruitful. They succeeded in finding a number of fossils consisting of one parietal piece, 5 subcranial bones, and 11 skull-shaped skeletons.
These fossils were eventually given the name Homo Soloensis, often referred to as Homo erectus Soloensis, Solo hominid, or Solo Man.
2. Von Koenigswald theory
According to von Königswald, the fossil of the Sulu subspecies exists at a higher level than that of Pithecanthropus erectus.
Therefore, this subspecies is called Homo, which means human. Experts believe that these organisms have witnessed more advanced intellectual development than previous species.
This view also received support from R. Weidenreich. These two scientists agree that this subspecies of Solo is an ancient humanoid that was the result of evolution from it Pithecanthropus mojokertensis Known as Homo mojokertensis.
This statement is based on the structure of the fossil body which is believed to have undergone refinements and improvements.
3. Lifespan of Homo solonsis
It is estimated that this Sulu hominid lived about 900 to 300 thousand years ago, based on the characteristics of the fossils found. Despite this, the age of the skeletons studied ranges from 143,000 to 550,000 years.
Therefore, more research is needed to determine the possibility of a more accurate age, taking into account that the condition of the fossil when it was found was not ideal.
Experts also state that subtypes of Standing man This has seen the development of intelligence. This depends on the size of the brain, which is estimated to range between 1000-1200 cubic centimeters.
This ability to develop the brain provides an overview of ancient human evolution and its important role in the human evolutionary journey towards a more advanced civilization.
Characteristics of Homo soluensis
In determining the characteristics of ancient humans, there are many fossil finds that are used as reference points in compiling their characteristics.
It is known that these characteristics are divided into two groups, namely physical characteristics and non-physical characteristics, which are those related to culture and beliefs.
1. Physical characteristics
In general, the characteristics of Homo solitarii show some similarities to Homo erectus. However, this subspecies of Homo sapiens is arguably more advanced or perfect than Homo erectus in several respects.
Physical characteristics of a solitary human include:
- It has a relatively large brain volume, ranging from 1000 to 1200 cubic centimeters.
- His cerebellum was larger than that of Pithecanthropus erectus.
- The size of the skull is larger than that of Pithecanthropus erectus.
- The back of the skull is rounded and high.
- The skeleton of the skull has an oval shape, thick and strong.
- The face shape does not protrude forward.
- The bulge on the forehead is thick and extends along the temples.
- It has a broad face and nose, long eye sockets, large molars, and a strong jaw.
- Its height ranges from 130 to 210 cm.
- The muscles at the back of the neck contract.
- Well-built body and height ranges from 165 to 180 cm.
- Its body weight ranges from 30 to 150 kg.
- The ability to stand upright and walk tends to be more perfect.
- His physical appearance is similar to that of humans today.
2. Cultural characteristics
Aside from having physical characteristics, individual humans also have non-physical characteristics, which include cultural aspects that evolved at that time.
Based on the discovery of fossils and artifacts, the lifestyles of Homo soloensis include:
Hunting and food gathering activities
This race of Sulu is a group of ancient humans who lived in the open forests nomadicly, moving from place to place following the movement of food sources.
They depend on hunting animals and collecting food from the surrounding environment as a main means to meet their nutritional needs and survive.
Recognizing the language of communication
Due to having a fairly large brain size, individual humans began to recognize and develop the ability to communicate using language.
Although direct evidence of their language is limited, the discovery of various types of stone tools indicates the presence of a sophisticated communication system, used to coordinate hunting and group activities.
Use fire
Homo Soloensis is believed to be the first ancient human to use fire for cooking. Most of them live in open forests, so they need fire for different things.
One of them is to cook food for daily consumption. Apart from that, they also use fire as lighting to protect themselves from the threat of wild animals at night.
Create life support tools
Aside from that, this species of ancient Sulu humans also had the ability to create simple life-support tools made of bone and stone.
Some of the tools found include bone tools, projectile tools, hand axes, and impact axes. These tools have different functions, as they are used for hunting, preparing food, and facilitating daily life.
3. Characteristics of faith
Ancient humans saw developments not only in cultural aspects, but also in art and spirituality. Some experts believe that during man’s solitary time, they were aware of God’s presence in their lives.
The reason for this may be the various natural phenomena that occurred at that time, which were difficult to explain with the science and technology existing at that time.
We also find support for the concept of primitive monotheism in the book “The Origin of the Idea of Good” by Wilhelm Schmidt.
Initially, the first humans in Africa believed in the existence of an all-powerful and all-seeing God. This God is not represented by a class of religious people or intermediaries between humans and God, so that everyone prays directly in different forms of prayer.
But over time, this belief changed and was replaced by belief in many pagan gods who symbolized the forces of nature and ancestral spirits in the form of animism and dynamism.
Factors of extinction of Homo soluensis
The extinction of ancient humans on Earth is a mystery that cannot be confirmed with certainty. However, there is some information indicating that its population has disappeared since the Pleistocene era.
Some factors that likely influenced their extinction are:
1. Environmental change
Environmental change is the main factor thought to influence the survival of ancient humans. During that period, the Earth experienced very significant climate changes.
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and drastic climate changes can cause human populations to decline and make it difficult to find natural resources to survive.
Apart from that, there is another theory that explains the existence of a meteorite storm that struck the Earth 12 thousand years ago. It is believed that this natural event caused the extinction of ancient humans.
Researchers believe that the meteorite’s impact caused drastic changes in temperature, reaching 2,200 degrees Celsius. As a result, organisms at that time faced difficulties in survival.
2. The spread of the disease
Apart from that, the suspected spread of the disease is also one of the factors that caused the extinction of Homo erectus and its descendants, as happened to Neanderthals.
Research shows that Neanderthals had a limited immune system against diseases to which they had never been exposed. In contrast, modern humans, Homo sapiens, have relatively greater immunity to prehistoric viruses, bacteria, germs, or diseases.
If two human species live near each other, some pathogens can jump relatively easily from one species to the other.
As a result, transmission of the disease became very possible and could have serious consequences for Neanderthals. It is possible that something similar could happen to the solitary Homo erectus.
3. Inability to compete
The development of more advanced modern humans or other human groups that are more adapted and efficient at finding food and surviving could cause Homo Soloensis to become less competitive.
If these groups are unable to find ways to adapt to environmental changes or compete with other groups, their survival becomes threatened.
4. Lack of social skills
Many theories suggest that the extinction of ancient humans occurred due to a lack of social abilities.
This in-depth research specifically examines the ancient human species Neanderthals, which lived about 300,000 years ago in Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Experts from Oxford University and the Natural History Museum in London compared modern human skulls with Neanderthal skulls.
The results showed that the part of the Neanderthal brain related to social relationships was smaller than that found in primates and modern humans.
From this we can conclude that these restrictions were an obstacle to the ability of Neanderthals to trade and interact with other groups. As a result, their chances of survival are reduced.
5. Exposure to predation by predators
In the past, solitary humans may have shared their habitat with large predators such as wildebeest or other carnivores.
If these human populations do not have sufficiently effective defenses against predators, they could be actively targeted and preyed upon, leading to population decline.
However, the difficulty in finding a definitive answer about the extinction of individual lineages is due to the lack of sufficient archaeological information and evidence.
However, by understanding the history of the discovery of solitary hominid fossils, we can gain important insights into the origins and evolution of hominids in the Indonesian archipelago.