100th century BCE
Lower Omo Valley, southern Ethiopia
The Shungura Formation in the Lower Omo Valley contains some of the earliest archaeological occurrences described in the extract. Excavated sites in Members E and F preserve simple stone assemblages dominated by sharp flakes and fragments produced by striking quartz pebbles. Member F is securely dated to about 2.0 ± 0.1 million years, while Member E is assigned an age between 2.0 and 2.2 million years on combined geological evidence. The sites occupy varied palaeo-environmental settings, although their land-use patterns remained under investigation.
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The Story
The Shungura Formation of the Lower Omo Valley preserves archaeological occurrences earlier than the Olduvai Bed I sites discussed in the extract. Several sites in Member F were excavated, producing assemblages made largely from small, sharp flakes and fragments. These were manufactured by deliberately smashing quartz pebbles, creating useful-looking edges and points without a clearly developed design system.
The Shungura material does not specifically resemble the Oldowan of Olduvai, even though both traditions represent simple and generalized applications of empirical knowledge about stone fracture. The excavated sites have not been suitable for studying bone food-refuse, so the evidence for subsistence behaviour is limited. Their varied positions within the regional palaeo-environmental mosaic nevertheless offer opportunities to investigate early land use.
Member F is securely dated to 2.0 ± 0.1 million years, while newly recovered material from Member E has been assigned an age between 2.0 and 2.2 million years through potassium–argon and palaeomagnetic evidence. The extract presents ongoing research rather than a complete interpretation of the sites. Their importance lies in documenting very early stone-working beyond Olduvai and in showing that early technological traditions were not necessarily uniform.
100th century BCE
Lower Omo Valley, southern Ethiopia
The Shungura Formation in the Lower Omo Valley contains some of the earliest archaeological occurrences described in the extract. Excavated sites in Members E and F preserve simple stone assemblages dominated by sharp flakes and fragments produced by striking quartz pebbles. Member F is securely dated to about 2.0 ± 0.1 million years, while Member E is assigned an age between 2.0 and 2.2 million years on combined geological evidence. The sites occupy varied palaeo-environmental settings, although their land-use patterns remained under investigation.
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The Story
The Shungura Formation of the Lower Omo Valley preserves archaeological occurrences earlier than the Olduvai Bed I sites discussed in the extract. Several sites in Member F were excavated, producing assemblages made largely from small, sharp flakes and fragments. These were manufactured by deliberately smashing quartz pebbles, creating useful-looking edges and points without a clearly developed design system.
The Shungura material does not specifically resemble the Oldowan of Olduvai, even though both traditions represent simple and generalized applications of empirical knowledge about stone fracture. The excavated sites have not been suitable for studying bone food-refuse, so the evidence for subsistence behaviour is limited. Their varied positions within the regional palaeo-environmental mosaic nevertheless offer opportunities to investigate early land use.
Member F is securely dated to 2.0 ± 0.1 million years, while newly recovered material from Member E has been assigned an age between 2.0 and 2.2 million years through potassium–argon and palaeomagnetic evidence. The extract presents ongoing research rather than a complete interpretation of the sites. Their importance lies in documenting very early stone-working beyond Olduvai and in showing that early technological traditions were not necessarily uniform.
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