A spring and wooded habitat at FLK Zinj and their relevance to origins of human behavior |
| |
| Authors: | Gail M Ashley Doris Barboni Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo Henry T Bunn Audax ZP Mabulla Fernando Diez-Martin Rebeca Barba Enrique Baquedano |
| |
| Institution: | aDept of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8066, USA;bCEREGE (UMR6635 CNRS/Université Aix-Marseille), BP80, F-13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 4, France;cDept. of Prehistory, Complutense University of Madrid Ciudad Universitaria s/n 28040 Madrid, Spain;dIDEA (Instituto de Evolución en África), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain;eDept. of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA;fArchaeology Unit, P.O. Box 35050, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;gDept. of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Valladolid, Plaza del Campus s/n 47011 Valladolid, Spain;hMuseo Arqueológico Regional de Madrid, Plaza delas Bernardas, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain |
| |
| 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: | Spring Phytoliths Palm trees Oldowan Tufa Hominin |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
