As we do on the beach, as it is very hot, our ancestors also had to adapt to the changes in the earth’s magnetic field, which made the sun more aggressive. Thus was born the first sunscreen.
41,000 years ago, there was a magnetic inversion of the planet. Today, such a phenomenon would be a true disaster for humanity, with the failure of telecommunications and satellites destroying technology.
But during the LASCHAMP EVENT, in which The magnetic poles of the earth moved Of their usual geographical positions, Homo sapiens survive with great success.
But how, if the weakening of the earth’s magnetic shield brought with it a global intensification of the auroras, and an over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation? The sun burned well at that time, but our ancestors had a solution.
It’s called ocher And it started to be used (much) later for paintings. Until then, it was a simple natural pigment composed of iron, clay and silica oxides. Only this mineral helped protect humans from strong radiation due to their properties similar to those of modern sunscreens.
Thus discovered the University of Michigan, published this week in the Science Advances. Scientists resorted to archaeological evidence of tools such as needles, punching and scratching.
These objects allowed it to realize that it was not only the ocher to protect from sunlight: By then, tight clothes were already made to protect from the sun, using these tools.
In addition, the team also found that the most exposed areas for cosmic radiation at the time coincide with regions where there was a Increased cave occupation. That is, our ancestors were sheltered from UV rays in fresh places and not exposed to sunlight.
As explained, this study revolutionizes the widespread belief that a strong magnetic field is essential for life.
