# ochre was produced 40,000 years ago in China > "Some 40,000 years ago, a small group of foragers parked themselves on a riverbank in what is now northeastern China. Some split pebbles and bones to make small tools while others made a fire. And at least one experienced craftsperson concentrated on the primary task: grinding red, purple, and gray chunks of ochre into a vibrant powder that could have been used as paint. Now, scientists have confirmed this prepared ochre is the oldest yet found in East Asia. Although no human fossils were uncovered, the finds suggest the ochre artisans were modern humans and part of a previously undetected migration into Eurasia." > ([[alex2022ArchaeologistsUncoverOldest]]) --- - **Keywords:** - [[Colour]] - [[Colour, ochre|Ochre]] - **Related:** - [[ochre production is considered a marker for human behaviour]] - [[ochre as pigment had many different historical uses]] - **Reference:** - [[alex2022ArchaeologistsUncoverOldest|Alex, B. (2022-03-02). Archaeologists uncover oldest ochre workshop in East Asia.]]