Abstract
We report the occurrence at 0.7 million years (Ma) of an ichnological assemblage at Gombore II-2, which is one of several archaeological sites at Melka Kunture in the upper Awash Valley of Ethiopia, 2000 m asl. Adults and children potentially as young as 12 months old left tracks in a silty substrate on the shore of a body of water where ungulates, as well as other mammals and birds, congregated. Furthermore, the same layers contain a rich archaeological and palaeontological record, confirming that knapping was taking place in situ and that stone tools were used for butchering hippo carcasses at the site. The site gives direct information on hominin landscape use at 0.7 Ma and may provide fresh perspective on the childhood of our ancestors.
Highlights
In the area of Melka Kunture (N 8°42.284′; E 38°36.098′) a French Mission led by Jean Chavaillon started the research in 1965
Stratified sands interbedded with silty-sandy sediments with fossil and lithic remains accumulated above the uppermost palaeosol, suggesting recurrent anthropogenic activity[5]
What is clear from the sequence as a whole is that hominins repeatedly exploited the area ever since they returned during a favourable climatic episode of the Mid Pleistocene Transition, as suggested by Mussi et al.[5]
Summary
In the area of Melka Kunture (N 8°42.284′; E 38°36.098′) a French Mission led by Jean Chavaillon started the research in 1965. From 2013 to 2015, some of the authors excavated over ~35 m2 more (Supplementary Fig. S1), discovering a stratigraphic sequence more complex than previously recorded[5] They found cross-cutting footprints of hominins and other animals suggesting repeated congregation at this site over a short period of time. Further chronological constraint is provided at ~0.78 Ma by the Matuyama/Brunhes magnetostratigraphic boundary identified by Tamrat and colleagues[6] The location of this has been recently reassessed within the stratigraphic sequence[5] and lies ~0.4 m below the tracks reported here (Fig. 1). The fine-grained sediments of this upper part of the Pleistocene sequence (i.e. interbedded sands, silts and clayey volcanic ashes) were plastic and humid enough to allow the production and preservation of fossil footprints[9,10,11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
