Protein traces in prehistoric red pigment point to antelope use by early South Africans
Researchers identified proteins from the common eland within a red ochre deposit in South Africa dated to about 60,000 years ago. The work was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society by a team from Kyushu University, the University of Bergen, and the University of Copenhagen. The discovery may help clarify how early humans handled pigments and animal materials.
The pigment sample is a red ochre deposit from South Africa dated to about 60,000 years ago. Within it, researchers identified protein traces from the common eland. The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society by a team from Kyushu University, the University of Bergen, and the University of Copenhagen.
The finding may help clarify how early humans handled pigments and animal materials. It adds to discussion of prehistoric red pigment use by linking a specific animal protein to an ochre context.
This research could influence how students, museum audiences, and archaeologists interpret early human material culture, since it connects pigment use with animal-derived proteins. It may encourage closer ties between archaeology and protein analysis. Public interest in human origins could grow, and heritage institutions may use such findings in exhibits. Any societal impact is likely indirect, arriving through education and science communication rather than immediate practical applications.