Scientists have discovered that modern humans may have departed Africa for Arabia much earlier than previously believed, possibly up to 65,000 years earlier. This migration was likely due to environmental factors rather than technological advancements. Contrary to previous studies, it is now believed that the migrants took a direct route to the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, rather than traveling through the Nile Valley or the Near East. Researchers unearthed an ancient tool kit at the Jebel Faya archaeological site in the United Arab Emirates, containing hand axes, perforators, and scrapers. By using luminescence dating, the team determined that these stone tools are between 100,000 and 125,000 years old. Simon Armitage from the University of London, who participated in the study, stated that these findings should prompt a re-evaluation of how modern humans spread globally. Hans-Peter Uerpmann from Eberhard Karls University led a study that concluded the tools found were not made in the Middle East but resembled those made by early humans in east Africa. This suggests that people were able to leave Africa without any specific cultural advancements. The research, published in Science, indicates that environmental factors, such as sea levels, were more influential than technological advancements in enabling migration. By analyzing sea-level and climate-change data from the last interglacial period, approximately 130,000 years ago, the researchers determined that the Bab al-Mandab strait between Arabia and the Horn of Africa would have narrowed due to lower sea levels, allowing for a safe passage out of Africa. Uerpmann suggested that during low tide, the straits may have been crossable, leading to the possibility that early humans either walked across or used rafts or boats to travel. Contrary to previous beliefs that the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula would have prevented migration from Africa, a new study indicates that Arabia experienced increased wetness during the last interglacial period, resulting in more lakes, rivers, and vegetation which would have made it easier for humans to make the journey. While there has been much debate about when modern humans left Africa, previous evidence pointed to an exodus along the Mediterranean Sea or Arabian coast approximately 60,000 years ago.