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A spring and wooded habitat at FLK Zinj and their relevance to origins of human behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Gail M. Ashley ,
Doris Barboni ,
Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo ,
Henry T. Bunn ,
Audax Z.P. Mabulla ,
Fernando Diez-Martin ,
Rebeca Barba  and
Enrique Baquedano
Gail M. Ashley*
Affiliation:
Dept of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8066, USA
Doris Barboni
Affiliation:
CEREGE (UMR6635 CNRS/Université Aix-Marseille), BP80, F-13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 4, France
Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo
Affiliation:
Dept. of Prehistory, Complutense University of Madrid Ciudad Universitaria s/n 28040 Madrid, Spain IDEA (Instituto de Evolución en África), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain
Henry T. Bunn
Affiliation:
Dept. of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Audax Z.P. Mabulla
Affiliation:
Archaeology Unit, P.O. Box 35050, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Fernando Diez-Martin
Affiliation:
Dept. of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Valladolid, Plaza del Campus s/n 47011 Valladolid, Spain
Rebeca Barba
Affiliation:
Dept. of Prehistory, Complutense University of Madrid Ciudad Universitaria s/n 28040 Madrid, Spain
Enrique Baquedano
Affiliation:
IDEA (Instituto de Evolución en África), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain Museo Arqueológico Regional de Madrid, Plaza delas Bernardas, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: + 1 732 445 3374. E-mail address:gmashley@rci.rutgers.edu (G.M. Ashley).
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Abstract

The 1959 discovery of the hominin fossil Zinjanthropus boisei brought the world's attention to the rich records at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Subsequent excavations of archaeological level 22 (FLK Zinj) Bed I uncovered remains of Homo habilis and a high-density collection of fossils and Oldowan stone tools. The occurrence of this unusual collection of bones and tools at this specific location has been controversial for decades. We present paleoecological data that provide new insights into the origin of FLK Zinj. Our recent excavations 200 m north of the site uncovered a 0.5-m-thick tufa mound draped by Tuff IC, in the same stratigraphic horizon as level 22. Stable isotope analyses indicate that the carbonates were deposited by a freshwater spring. Phytolith analysis of the waxy clay under Tuff IC revealed abundant woody dicotyledon and palm phytoliths, indicating that the site was wooded to densely wooded. The time equivalency and close physical proximity of the two environments indicate the two are related. This study has provided the first documented evidence of springs in Bed I and these data have important implications for the interpretation of hominin behavior in meat acquisition and the ongoing debate on scavenging versus hunting.

Keywords

SpringPhytolithsPalm treesOldowanTufaHominin
Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , November 2010 , pp. 304 - 314
Copyright
University of Washington

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