Uma sicabanga ngempucuko yasendulo nezinto eziyayifezile, sivame ukuzihlobanisa nezimangaliso ezinkulu zezakhiwo noma izinhlelo zikahulumeni eziyinkimbinkimbi. Kodwa-ke, ukutholakala kwakamuva kwembula ukuthi okhokho bethu ngesikhathi se-Neolithic nabo babethuthuke kakhulu kubuchwepheshe bezolwandle. Lokhu kuthola okumangazayo kunikeza ukukhanya okusha emandleni nolwazi lwemiphakathi ye-Stone Age, kanye nekhono layo lokunqamula uLwandle iMedithera.
I-Mediterranean sekuyisikhathi eside ibhekwa njengesizinda sempucuko, namasiko amaningi abalulekile avela ngasogwini lwayo. Kodwa kuthiwani ngabantu ababekhona ngaphambi kwale miphakathi emikhulu? Ukuhlola ukuhamba kwasolwandle kwasendulo bekulokhu kuyinselele, njengoba izinto eziphilayo ezisetshenziswa ekwakhiweni kwezikebhe azivamile ukusinda ekuhlolweni kwesikhathi. Nokho, iqembu labavubukuli be-Spanish National Research Council e-Barcelona lenza intuthuko emangalisayo lapho livubukula izikebhe ezinhlanu e-Neolithic Lakeshore Village ebizwa ngokuthi i-La Marmotta, eseduze neRoma.
Uma uthi nhlá, izikebhe zazibonakala njengemikhumbi yamanzi ye-Neolithic evamile - iziqu zezihlahla ezigobile ezisetshenziselwa ukudoba noma ukuhamba amabanga amafushane. Kodwa lapho sihlolisisa, kwabonakala ukuthi lezi zikebhe zaziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kunalokho okwakucatshangwa ngaphambili. Izikebhe zazakhiwe ngezinhlobo ezine ezihlukene zokhuni futhi ziveza amasu athuthukile njengezici eziphambanayo nezinto zokhuni ezimise okwe-t ezinezimbobo ebezingasetshenziswa ukubophela izintambo namaseyili. Leli zinga lobungcweti nokuklama libonisa ukuthi abakhi babenokuqonda okujulile kwezakhiwo zokhuni kanye nolwazi olubanzi lwendlela yokudala imikhumbi eqinile.
Isikebhe esisodwa sagqama njengoba sasihlotshaniswa nezinto ezintathu zokhuni ezimise okwe-T ezinezimbobo eziningi. Lokhu kutholakala kunikeza ubufakazi obuqinile bokuthi lezi zikebhe ze-Neolithic kwakungeyona nje imikhumbi yokudoba elula kodwa imisebenzi yezandla yokuhamba olwandle enekhono. Ithimba liphinde lathola amathuluzi amatshe endaweni eyayixhunywe eziqhingini eziseduze, okubonisa ukuthi lezi zikebhe zazisetshenziselwa ukuhweba futhi ngokunokwenzeka nokufuduka.
Okutholwe yilolu cwaningo, olushicilelwe kujenali I-PLOS ONE(2024), ziyadabukisa njengoba zibekela inselele inkolelo evamile yokuthi ubuchwepheshe basolwandle abuzange buthuthuke kwaze kwaba kamuva emlandweni. Izikebhe nezinye izinto zobuciko zasemanzini ezitholakala eLa Marmotta ziphakamisa ukuthi abantu baseNeolithic base bengamachweba anekhono, benolwazi namasu afana nalawo asetshenziswa impucuko yakamuva kakhulu.
Kodwa le miphakathi ye-Stone Age yabuthola kanjani ubuchwepheshe obuphambili kangaka? Abacwaningi babeka umbono wokuthi lokhu bekuwumphumela wokusebenza ngokubambisana, obenganyelwe ingcweti enekhono eyayiwuqonda kahle wonke umsebenzi wokwakha izikebhe - kusukela ekukhetheni isihlahla esifanele ukuya ekuthululeni isikebhe echibini noma olwandle. Leli zinga lokuhlela nokusebenzisana phakathi komphakathi liphinde likhulume nesakhiwo esiyinkimbinkimbi senhlalo nezobuchwepheshe sale miphakathi ye-Neolithic.
Ukubaluleka kwalokhu okutholakele kudlula nje ukufakazela amakhono okhokho bethu basendulo. Iphinde inikeze ukukhanya okusha ekwandeni nasekuphumeleleni kwabo ekuthatheni indawo yonke yaseMedithera, kusukela eCyprus kuya ogwini lwe-Atlantic eNhlonhlweni Yase-Iberia. Ababhali bocwaningo bathi “lobu buchwepheshe bebuyingxenye ebalulekile yempumelelo yabo” futhi babambe iqhaza elibalulekile ekhonweni labo lokuhamba nokuhweba benqamula amabanga amade.
Ubuchwepheshe bezolwandle obuthuthukisiwe balaba bantu baseNeolithic manje sebuvule isahluko esisha ekuqondeni kwethu impucuko yasendulo. Kuwubufakazi bobuhlakani kanye nobuchule babo, kanye nekhono labo lokuzivumelanisa nezimo nokuchuma endaweni abahlala kuyo. Izikebhe zaseLa Marmotta zisebenza njengesikhumbuzo sokuthi okhokho bethu babengebona nje abantu bakudala, kodwa abasunguli abavula indlela yentuthuko yesikhathi esizayo kwezohambo lwasolwandle.
