100th century BCE
North-western Lake Natron basin, Tanzania
The Peninj Group in the north-western Lake Natron basin preserves early Acheulian assemblages stratified between dated lava flows. The artifacts are dominated by large-flake hand-axes and cleavers that received limited secondary trimming, closely resembling material from Olduvai Bed II at EF-HR. A mandible attributed to Australopithecus cf. boisei comes from a horizon just below the assemblages. The site provides evidence for early Acheulian technology within a dated geological sequence in northern Tanzania.
Continue exploring
The Story
The Peninj Group of formations lies on the north-western flanks of the Lake Natron basin. Its archaeological assemblages are constrained by a lava flow dated to 1.3 million years above them and another flow associated with the Olduvai event, dated to approximately 1.8–1.6 million years below them. A well-preserved mandible attributed to Australopithecus cf. boisei was recovered from a horizon just beneath the archaeological material.
The excavated assemblages are conspicuous for hand-axes and cleavers made on large flakes. These tools received a minimum of secondary trimming, preserving a relatively direct relationship between the large flake blank and the finished implement. Their technological character clearly resembles the Olduvai Bed II material from the site EF-HR.
The assemblages are therefore classified as early Acheulian. Their importance lies not in demonstrating a simple sequence of increasing refinement, but in adding a well-positioned locality to the broader East African record of early bifacial technology. The surrounding geological sequence supplies chronological constraints while leaving the precise relationship between the mandible and the tools open.
100th century BCE
North-western Lake Natron basin, Tanzania
The Peninj Group in the north-western Lake Natron basin preserves early Acheulian assemblages stratified between dated lava flows. The artifacts are dominated by large-flake hand-axes and cleavers that received limited secondary trimming, closely resembling material from Olduvai Bed II at EF-HR. A mandible attributed to Australopithecus cf. boisei comes from a horizon just below the assemblages. The site provides evidence for early Acheulian technology within a dated geological sequence in northern Tanzania.
Continue exploring
The Story
The Peninj Group of formations lies on the north-western flanks of the Lake Natron basin. Its archaeological assemblages are constrained by a lava flow dated to 1.3 million years above them and another flow associated with the Olduvai event, dated to approximately 1.8–1.6 million years below them. A well-preserved mandible attributed to Australopithecus cf. boisei was recovered from a horizon just beneath the archaeological material.
The excavated assemblages are conspicuous for hand-axes and cleavers made on large flakes. These tools received a minimum of secondary trimming, preserving a relatively direct relationship between the large flake blank and the finished implement. Their technological character clearly resembles the Olduvai Bed II material from the site EF-HR.
The assemblages are therefore classified as early Acheulian. Their importance lies not in demonstrating a simple sequence of increasing refinement, but in adding a well-positioned locality to the broader East African record of early bifacial technology. The surrounding geological sequence supplies chronological constraints while leaving the precise relationship between the mandible and the tools open.
Continue the journey
Other paths related to this story.