The Real-Life Hobbits of Flores Pocket-Size Prehistory
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Long before Frodo was having second breakfast in the Shire, real-life “hobbits” were leaving footprints on human history. Homo floresiensis was one of the last surviving humans, alongside our own species, Homo sapiens. Standing a little over 3 feet tall, these petite people got by on their home island by hunting and gathering with advanced tools. Their small skeletons were discovered in 2003 in a remote cave, but much of their story remains a mystery. A Stunning Surprise When an Indonesian-Australian research team explored the Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia, they discovered the remains of a miniature human-like creature. At first, they estimated these beings lived out their lives 12,000–74,000 years ago. As scientists have learned more about them, it is clear that the remains are older, dating back between 60,000 and 100,000 years. In total, they have found the partial skeleton of a female and fragments of at least 13 other hobbits. Small Survivors Along with their height, Homo floresiensis had particularly short legs compared to their longer arms and large feet. Tools found with their fossils suggest they hunted Komodo dragons, giant rats, and other small mammals. Due to the wear on their teeth, researchers think they ate plenty of nutritious plants that required a lot of chewing.
Slow Cooker Masala Chicken and Rice
Chicken • 1 tbsp butter • 1 lb ground chicken Ingredients • 1 small onion, chopped • 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce • 1 cup water • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp chili powder • 1 tsp ground turmeric
Without any signs of burials or other ceremonies, it’s difficult to say what their culture was like. Mini Mysteries So, where exactly did this teeny tribe come from? It’s still a mini mystery! Early theories speculated that they evolved from another ancient human species that shrank over time after arriving on Flores due to island dwarfism. With limited resources, their bodies grew smaller. In 2016, the theory that they were from another human species gained traction. Jaw bones discovered just outside the cave are even smaller and older. They likely traveled from Africa to the
• 1 tsp garam masala • 1/2 tsp ground ginger • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 bay leaf • 1 cup frozen peas Rice • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice • 1 3/4 cups boiling water • 2 tbsp canola oil or butter • 1 tsp salt
Directions 1. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. 2. Add chicken and onion, cook until no longer pink, 6–8 minutes, breaking into crumbles. 3. Transfer to a 4-quart slow cooker. 4. Stir in tomato sauce, water, salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, ginger, cinnamon, and bay leaf. 5. Cook on low for 4–5 hours. Add peas, cook 30 minutes. 6. For rice, preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 2-quart baking dish. 7. Add all rice ingredients, cover with foil, and bake until water is absorbed, 25–30 minutes. 8. Discard bay leaf from chicken, and serve over cooked rice.
island, a long journey they couldn’t have swum, so it’s possible they were swept up in a tsunami before settling on the island. While they may have been small in stature, the hobbit people left behind oversized questions about our past. Unlike the characters many of us imagine in a fictional world, these tiny humans are grounded in science, not Middle-earth.
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