A reassessment of the Middle and Later Stone Age lithic assemblages from Aladi Springs, Southern Afar Rift, Ethiopia

Abstract

The site of Aladi Springs was discovered and excavated in the 1970s. However, the assemblages from this site did not subsequently receive full investigation. Here, we present results of the first exhaustive analysis of the lithic collections from both the Middle and the Later Stone Age (MSA/LSA) occupation horizons at this site. Detailed analysis of metric and non-metric attributes reveals a marked variability in production techniques and overall size of major tool classes, with dimensional diminution evident across these occupations. However, tool utilisation patterns exhibit an overall similarity where marginally retouched tools and inverse retouch techniques appear to be the characteristic features of both industries. Whereas the presence in the MSA occupation of tool forms with LSA affinities suggests that the site may actually represent a transitional context, additional excavations and/or detailed microstratigraphic studies are needed in order to establish unequivocally the actual cultural trajectories at Aladi Springs.