Ancient DNA Unveils Europe's Earliest Settlers in Crimea
DNA analysis of skeletons from the site of Buran-Kaya III in Crimea reveals that the first modern humans to settle in Europe arrived around 37,000 years ago. These early settlers gave rise to a culture that included stone tools, jewelry, and Venus figurines. The Buran-Kaya people are believed to be the ancestors of the Gravettian culture, which spread across Europe starting about 33,000 years ago. The genetic findings suggest that these settlers migrated out of Crimea and other southern refuges as the climate warmed, populating Eastern and Central Europe. The study also indicates that the supervolcano eruption in southern Italy around 40,000 years ago did not cause the complete extinction of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals in Southern Europe.