By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

Blombos Cave is an archaeological site with significant information about the behaviour of our ancestors

The kits used by humans 100,000 years ago to make paint have been found at the famous archaeological site of Blombos Cave in South Africa.

The hoard includes red and yellow pigments, shell containers, and the grinding cobbles and bone spatulas to work up a paste – everything an ancient artist might need in their workshop.

This extraordinary discovery is reported in the journal Science.

It is proof, say researchers, of our early ancestors’ complexity of thought.

“This is significant because it is pushing back the boundaries of our understanding of when Homo sapiens – people like us – first became modern,” said Prof Christopher Henshilwood from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

“These finds indicate that humans were certainly thinking in a modern way, in a way that is cognitively advanced, at least 100,000 years ago,” he told BBC News.

Prof Henshilwood shows what was found and how the tools were used

Blombos Cave on the southern Cape Coast, 300km east of Cape Town, has been giving up remarkable archaeological treasures for more than 20 years.

Scientists have been scraping down through its sandy sediments to find all manner of artefacts left by the Middle Stone Age people who occupied the limestone cavity.

In 2002, researchers described 70,000-year-old blocks of ochre. This soft stone contains iron oxides that can be used as a pigment, or colouring agent. (more…)

In response to some bogus reviews about never paint again posted on various consumer forums and blogs, we of course at Never paint again feel we need to put the record straight, so here are some more reviews, all of whom are genuine, and to the small bunch o doubters, we can prove they are genuine too! (more…)

When you want to give your house a new look, a new coat of paint can do wonders to the exterior and the interiors. It is best to hire professionals for the job as it can be really tiring if you have a big house. It would not be as tiring if it was only one room to paint. However, there are several Scottsdale painters that you can choose from. Giving the job to a contractor keeps it hassle-free and you can also get the job done quickly. Moreover, with a Scottsdale AZ painter the job is going to be much more organized. (more…)

As winter becomes a distant memory, plants begin to bloom and yards come alive with green vegetation. It is a welcome sight for most households as the cold weather was harsh and unpredictable this past season, causing international airport closings around the country and taking a toll on buildings of all sorts. The time for spring cleaning has arrived and, with that, it is a good time to do maintenance and take care of pending home repair projects outside. (more…)

By: Durall Industrial Flooring

Many older homes and buildings have developed dangerous levels of spores from mold and mildew growing in basement walls and floors. To be free of those health hazards and to avoid them returning encapsulation is being used more and more frequently. (more…)

Not sure what to sell on eBay? Learn how to research your ideas, find product sources and discover what’s hot. (more…)

By their very nature, ‘flat roofs’ only have a very slight slope and are likely to be in contact with, and therefore under attack from water longer than other types of roof. (more…)

Here are some more NPA Never Paint Again customer comments and reviews from our old site, reproduced on our classic mini site. If you have had work done through us, why not submit your own comment at our main wall coatings site? (more…)