100th century BCE
Sidi Zin, Tunisia
A Tunisian spring-site locality preserving rich Upper Acheulian assemblages, fossil fauna, and a later Mousterioid horizon. Three Acheulian horizons occur in deposits around a spring pool at the confluence of two ravines. The faunal remains, apparently food refuse, include large mammals such as elephant, rhinoceros, equine, aurochs, gnu, gazelle, and Barbary sheep, while precise dating remains unavailable.
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The Story
Sidi Zin lies at the confluence of two ravines, where a spring formed a pool and deposited sediments around it. Excavations and collections by Gobert recovered rich Upper Acheulian assemblages together with fossil faunal remains. The setting provides a localized record of repeated human activity around water in a landscape where such resources would have been significant.
Three Acheulian horizons are present, capped by a Mousterioid horizon in tufa. The Acheulian assemblages differ from one another in ways that may reflect both stylistic variation and changes in activity or function. This internal variation is important because it cautions against treating all Acheulian material at the locality as a single uniform episode.
The faunal remains appear to represent food refuse. They include elephant, rhinoceros, an equine identified as Equus mauritanicus, aurochs, gnu, Bubalis, gazelle, and Barbary sheep. Sidi Zin is generally assigned to the early Upper Pleistocene, but the absence of precise dating evidence prevents a more secure chronological placement.
100th century BCE
Sidi Zin, Tunisia
A Tunisian spring-site locality preserving rich Upper Acheulian assemblages, fossil fauna, and a later Mousterioid horizon. Three Acheulian horizons occur in deposits around a spring pool at the confluence of two ravines. The faunal remains, apparently food refuse, include large mammals such as elephant, rhinoceros, equine, aurochs, gnu, gazelle, and Barbary sheep, while precise dating remains unavailable.
Continue exploring
The Story
Sidi Zin lies at the confluence of two ravines, where a spring formed a pool and deposited sediments around it. Excavations and collections by Gobert recovered rich Upper Acheulian assemblages together with fossil faunal remains. The setting provides a localized record of repeated human activity around water in a landscape where such resources would have been significant.
Three Acheulian horizons are present, capped by a Mousterioid horizon in tufa. The Acheulian assemblages differ from one another in ways that may reflect both stylistic variation and changes in activity or function. This internal variation is important because it cautions against treating all Acheulian material at the locality as a single uniform episode.
The faunal remains appear to represent food refuse. They include elephant, rhinoceros, an equine identified as Equus mauritanicus, aurochs, gnu, Bubalis, gazelle, and Barbary sheep. Sidi Zin is generally assigned to the early Upper Pleistocene, but the absence of precise dating evidence prevents a more secure chronological placement.