Abstract
Konso in Ethiopia and Kokiselei in Kenya, both dated to ~1.7 million years ago (Ma), and FLK West, a recently reported site from Olduvai dated to 1.7 Ma, are the earliest Acheulean sites known in East Africa. Ongoing archaeological investigations at Gona, in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia, have also produced early Acheulean stone assemblages at several sites, estimated to ~1.6–1.2 Ma. A number of sites, including BSN-12 and OGS-12 , have yielded archaeological materials comparable to the earliest Konso artifacts. The stone assemblages from the Gona sites consist of crudely made handaxes, cleavers , and picks , as well as Mode I (Oldowan) cores, and débitage. A variety of raw materials were exploited at Gona, with trachyte , rhyolite , and basalt being the most common.
Our understanding of the behavioral and ecological background for the emergence of the Acheulean is still limited. Preliminary comparisons of BSN-12 and OGS-12 with other early Acheulean sites demonstrate variability in paleoecological settings as well as raw material use. Current archaeological evidence indicates that early Homo erectus/ergaster use of this new technology was already in place in East Africa ~1.75 Ma. At Gona and elsewhere in Africa, continued survey and excavations are needed to document sites with potential for yielding archaeological traces that will help our understanding of the Oldowan–Acheulean transition, the identity of the toolmakers, and the function of the early Acheulean Large Cutting Tools (LCTs).
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Authority for Research and Conservation and Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia for research permits. The Culture and Tourism Bureau at Semera, the capital of the Afar Regional State, provided local permits and assistance for the Gona fieldwork. The L.S.B. Leakey Foundation has provided continuous funding for our field and laboratory research, and we are grateful. Additional funding was provided by grants from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) of the Spanish Government, (Project No HAR2013-41351-P, and Project No CGL2012-38434-C03-03), and the Catalonian Government, project 2014 SGR 899, Marie Curie (EU), the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and the National Geographic Society. MJR thanks the Connecticut State University System for supporting this research through the CSU Research Grant program. The hard work in the field by our Afar colleagues is very much appreciated. The drawings were made by Dr. Dominique Cauche, and thank you.
Finally, we would like to thank Rosalia Gallotti and Margherita Mussi for inviting one of us (SS) to participate in the international workshop on “The Emergence of the Acheulean in East Africa”, held at the University di Roma, Sapienza (September 12–13, 2013). It was a great pleasure to participate in the workshop organized for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Melka Kunture (1963–2013), also honoring the lifetime achievement of the late Professor Jean Chavaillon and his contributions working at this important Paleolithic site in Ethiopia.
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Semaw, S., Rogers, M.J., Cáceres, I., Stout, D., Leiss, A.C. (2018). The Early Acheulean ~1.6–1.2 Ma from Gona, Ethiopia: Issues related to the Emergence of the Acheulean in Africa. In: Gallotti, R., Mussi, M. (eds) The Emergence of the Acheulean in East Africa and Beyond. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75985-2_6
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