Cᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
Koobi Fora Formation, eastern Lake Turkana, Kenya
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The Koobi Fora Formation preserves early archaeological sites and abundant hominid fossils beside the eastern shores of former Lake Rudolf, now Lake Turkana. The KBS and HAS sites contain Oldowan-range artifacts associated with animal bones, including a possible hippopotamus butchery episode. The Upper Member preserves the Karari Industry, dated to about 1.6–1.2 million years, characterized by choppers, polyhedrons, discoids and distinctive core-scrapers. Several hominid forms coexisted during the manufacture of these assemblages, although their precise technological affiliations remain uncertain.
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Le récit
Very early archaeological traces in the Koobi Fora Formation were found east of Lake Rudolf, now known as Lake Turkana. The KBS site was discovered during R. E. F. Leakey’s 1969 expedition, while excavation at HAS documented an association between artifacts and a hippopotamus skeleton. That association has been interpreted as a possible butchery episode, although the evidence cannot determine whether hominids killed the animal or found it dead.
KBS consists of discarded artifacts and bone fragments from several animal carcasses, suggesting a camp where tool-making, meat-eating and food-sharing were occurring. Later study revised the initial age estimate of 2.6 ± 0.26 million years and supported a date of about 1.8 ± 0.01 million years. The KBS and HAS assemblages fall within the technological and morphological range of the Oldowan at Olduvai Bed I, although small secondarily retouched scrapers have not been recovered.
The Upper Member of the formation spans approximately 1.6–1.2 million years and has yielded the Karari Industry. Karari assemblages include choppers, polyhedrons and discoids, resemble the Developed Oldowan in several respects, lack spheroids and contain an especially distinctive series of elaborate core-scrapers. Sites occur on riverine floodplains and lake-margin flats around proto-Lake Rudolf, with variable preservation of bone refuse.
Koobi Fora also preserves a rich hominid fossil record, including robust Australopithecus cf. boisei, a possible Australopithecus cf. africanus and a larger-brained form represented by the 1470 skull. These forms coexisted while KBS and Karari artifacts were being made. The extract does not establish conclusive relationships between species and technical traditions, though it assumes that Homo populations at least were tool-makers.
Cᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
Koobi Fora Formation, eastern Lake Turkana, Kenya
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Koobi Fora Formation preserves early archaeological sites and abundant hominid fossils beside the eastern shores of former Lake Rudolf, now Lake Turkana. The KBS and HAS sites contain Oldowan-range artifacts associated with animal bones, including a possible hippopotamus butchery episode. The Upper Member preserves the Karari Industry, dated to about 1.6–1.2 million years, characterized by choppers, polyhedrons, discoids and distinctive core-scrapers. Several hominid forms coexisted during the manufacture of these assemblages, although their precise technological affiliations remain uncertain.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Very early archaeological traces in the Koobi Fora Formation were found east of Lake Rudolf, now known as Lake Turkana. The KBS site was discovered during R. E. F. Leakey’s 1969 expedition, while excavation at HAS documented an association between artifacts and a hippopotamus skeleton. That association has been interpreted as a possible butchery episode, although the evidence cannot determine whether hominids killed the animal or found it dead.
KBS consists of discarded artifacts and bone fragments from several animal carcasses, suggesting a camp where tool-making, meat-eating and food-sharing were occurring. Later study revised the initial age estimate of 2.6 ± 0.26 million years and supported a date of about 1.8 ± 0.01 million years. The KBS and HAS assemblages fall within the technological and morphological range of the Oldowan at Olduvai Bed I, although small secondarily retouched scrapers have not been recovered.
The Upper Member of the formation spans approximately 1.6–1.2 million years and has yielded the Karari Industry. Karari assemblages include choppers, polyhedrons and discoids, resemble the Developed Oldowan in several respects, lack spheroids and contain an especially distinctive series of elaborate core-scrapers. Sites occur on riverine floodplains and lake-margin flats around proto-Lake Rudolf, with variable preservation of bone refuse.
Koobi Fora also preserves a rich hominid fossil record, including robust Australopithecus cf. boisei, a possible Australopithecus cf. africanus and a larger-brained form represented by the 1470 skull. These forms coexisted while KBS and Karari artifacts were being made. The extract does not establish conclusive relationships between species and technical traditions, though it assumes that Homo populations at least were tool-makers.
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