New 40Ar/39Ar geochronological data for several volcanic ash horizons from Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, allow for significantly more precise age constraints to be placed upon the lithostratigraphy, archaeology and paleontology from this long record. Ashes from the Melka Kunture Formation at Gombore yielded the most reliable age constraints, from 1.393 ± 0.162 Ma2 (millions of years ago) near the base of the section to 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma near the top. Dating the Garba section proved more problematic, but the base of the section, which contains numerous Oldowan obsidian artifacts, may be >1.719 ± 0.199 Ma, while the top is securely dated to 0.869 ± 0.020 Ma. The large ignimbrite from the Kella Formation at Kella and Melka Garba is dated to 1.262 ± 0.034 Ma and pre-dates Acheulean artifacts in the area. The Gombore II site, which has yielded two Homo skull fragments, 'twisted bifaces,' and a preserved butchery site, is now constrained between 0.875 ±0.010 Ma and 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma. Additional ashes from these and other sites further constrain the timing of deposition throughout the section. Integration with previously published magnetostratigraphy has allowed for the first time a relatively complete, reliable timeline for the deposition of sediments, environmental changes, archaeology, and paleontology at Melka Kunture.
A chronological framework for a long and persistent archaeological record: Melka Kunture, Ethiopia
Résumé
en
New 40Ar/39Ar geochronological data for several volcanic ash horizons from Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, allow for significantly more precise age constraints to be placed upon the lithostratigraphy, archaeology and paleontology from this long record. Ashes from the Melka Kunture Formation at Gombore yielded the most reliable age constraints, from 1.393 ± 0.162 Ma2 (millions of years ago) near the base of the section to 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma near the top. Dating the Garba section proved more problematic, but the base of the section, which contains numerous Oldowan obsidian artifacts, may be >1.719 ± 0.199 Ma, while the top is securely dated to 0.869 ± 0.020 Ma. The large ignimbrite from the Kella Formation at Kella and Melka Garba is dated to 1.262 ± 0.034 Ma and pre-dates Acheulean artifacts in the area. The Gombore II site, which has yielded two Homo skull fragments, 'twisted bifaces,' and a preserved butchery site, is now constrained between 0.875 ±0.010 Ma and 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma. Additional ashes from these and other sites further constrain the timing of deposition throughout the section. Integration with previously published magnetostratigraphy has allowed for the first time a relatively complete, reliable timeline for the deposition of sediments, environmental changes, archaeology, and paleontology at Melka Kunture.
Auteur(s)
Leah E. Morgan1
, Paul R. Renne2
, Guy Kieffer3
, Marcello Piperno4
, Rosalia Gallotti5
, Jean-Paul Raynal5, 6
1
EPS -
Department of Earth and Planetary Science [UC Berkeley]
( 173795 )
- 307 McCone Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-4767
- États-Unis
University of California [Berkeley] ( 563719 )
;
University of California ( 471291 )
2
BGC -
Berkeley Geochronology Center
( 177748 )
- 2455 Ridge Rd., Berkeley
- États-Unis
3
Italian Archaeological Mission at Melka Kunture and Balchit
( 177749 )
- 22 rue Paul Gaubin, 63450 Le Crest
- France
Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" = Sapienza University [Rome] ( 229915 )
4
Dipartimento di Scienze Storiche, Archeologiche e Antropologiche dell'Antichità
( 6537 )
- Via Palestro 63, 00185 Rome
- Italie
Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" = Sapienza University [Rome] ( 229915 )
5
PACEA -
De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie
( 205557 )
- Université de Bordeaux - Bâtiment B8 - CS50023 - Allée Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire - 33615 Pessac Cedex
- France
Université de Bordeaux ( 259761 )
;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR5199 ( 441569 )
6
Department of Human Evolution [Leipzig]
( 86037 )
- Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Allemagne
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology [Leipzig] ( 308156 )
;
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft ( 5247 )
Comité de lecture
Oui
Vulgarisation
Non
Langue du document
Anglais
Nom de la revue
J Hum Evol -
Journal of Human Evolution
(ISSN : 0047-2484, ISSN électronique : 1095-8606)
Publié par Elsevier
Revue non référencée dans Sherpa-Romeo
Audience
Internationale
Date de publication
2011
Page/Identifiant
1-12
Domaine(s)
Sciences de l'Homme et Société/Archéologie et Préhistoire
Planète et Univers [physics]/Sciences de la Terre/Volcanologie
Planète et Univers [physics]/Sciences de la Terre/Géochimie
Sciences de l'environnement/Milieux et Changements globaux
Planète et Univers [physics]/Sciences de la Terre/Stratigraphie
Collaboration/Projet
the Authority for Research and Conservation of the Cultural Heritage of Ethiopia
the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia
the Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau
the Italian Archaeological Mission at Melka Kunture
and the National Museum of Ethiopia
Financement
The Berkeley Geochronology Center 40Ar/39Ar geochronology lab was supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation and National Science Foundation grant BCS-0211172. Field work (L.M., G.K and J.P.R.) was funded by the Italian Archaeological Mission at Melka Kunture (M. Piperno director) and 'Région Aquitaine' grant 20071403002 for the 'Origines 1' project (J.P. Raynal director).
Leah E. Morgan, Paul R. Renne, Guy Kieffer, Marcello Piperno, Rosalia Gallotti, et al.. A chronological framework for a long and persistent archaeological record: Melka Kunture, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution, 2011, pp.1-12. ⟨10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.10.007⟩. ⟨hal-00654462⟩