Oldest known sharp-force facial injury found in early Homo sapiens outside Africa
Archaeologists analyzing the 100,000-year-old skull Qafzeh 25 from Israel’s Qafzeh cave found a healed cut across the lower jaw, likely from a sharp stone tool. The injury, which shows the person survived for some time afterward, is the earliest evidence of sharp-force interpersonal violence in early Homo sapiens outside Africa, adding to evidence of complex behaviors, care for injured individuals, and funerary practices among ancient populations. The finding, based on microscopic and micro-CT analysis, complements earlier blunt-force trauma findings at the site and suggests a more nuanced picture of early human interactions in the Middle Paleolithic.