Guy Gugliotta's The Great Human Migration
1. One example of non-historical evidence for human migration out of Africa, provided in Guy Gugliotta’s, “The Great Human Migration” is the fossilized remains of shellfish such as, barnacles, mussels, periwinkles, and other mollusks, which imply that these humans were using the sea as a major supply of food needed for their survival . Since, some early modern humans in Africa, were located in Blombos they had a vast supply of water near them, which contained their major food supply of shellfish. 2. One possible cause of the great migration is droughts in Africa which threatened these modern humans extinction. Since, they consumed shellfish, they need to be near a body of water to obtain their food supply. The droughts may have dried
up these bodies of water, leaving modern humans with no supply of food. Without a constant supply of food, they knew and had tools to catch with, modern human with the help of new land bridges set out for new land that was similar to theirs.
3. The shellfish evidence supports the theory of the great migration being caused by droughts because modern humans migrated to lands similar to theirs.They migrated to different lands because the areas in which they lived in Africa were no longer able to provide food for them to survive. Since they already knew how and had the tools to catch shellfish they migrated towards areas near bodies of water. These lands near bodies of water, also contain shellfish a major food supply for these modern humans. These modern humans crossed modern- day Bab el Mandeb Strait through a land bridge and from this area they migrated along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean. This migration route shows that the modern humans stayed near bodies of water, after migrating out of Africa, to be near a food supply of shellfish. Modern humans were able to survive and thrive after leaving Africa because they went to land similar to them, with food they already knew how to catch. According to the article, “The migrants’ path never veered far from the sea, departed from warm weather or failed to provide familiar food, such as shellfish and tropical fruit” (Gugliotta. p.4).
up these bodies of water, leaving modern humans with no supply of food. Without a constant supply of food, they knew and had tools to catch with, modern human with the help of new land bridges set out for new land that was similar to theirs.
3. The shellfish evidence supports the theory of the great migration being caused by droughts because modern humans migrated to lands similar to theirs.They migrated to different lands because the areas in which they lived in Africa were no longer able to provide food for them to survive. Since they already knew how and had the tools to catch shellfish they migrated towards areas near bodies of water. These lands near bodies of water, also contain shellfish a major food supply for these modern humans. These modern humans crossed modern- day Bab el Mandeb Strait through a land bridge and from this area they migrated along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean. This migration route shows that the modern humans stayed near bodies of water, after migrating out of Africa, to be near a food supply of shellfish. Modern humans were able to survive and thrive after leaving Africa because they went to land similar to them, with food they already knew how to catch. According to the article, “The migrants’ path never veered far from the sea, departed from warm weather or failed to provide familiar food, such as shellfish and tropical fruit” (Gugliotta. p.4).