Estudio tafonómico de los niveles arqueológicos de BK (Bell Korongo), garganta de Olduvai, Tanzania

El yacimiento de Bell Korongo (BK) se localiza en la garganta secundaria de Olduvai (Tanzania), en la parte su-perior del lecho II y tiene una crono-logía de 1.34 Ma. (Domínguez-Ro-drigo et al., 2013). El paleoambiente corresponde a una llanura fluvial donde se combinan hábitats boscosos y de pradera. Las primeras excavaciones en BK fue-ron realizadas por Louis y Mary Leakey a mediados del siglo XX, quié-nes sacaron a la luz abundante mate-rial lítico y faunístico. Ambos investi-gadores determinaron que el conjunto de BK tenía un origen antrópico y co-rrespondía a una acumulación resul-tado del consumo de carcasas por parte de los homininos (Leakey 1954, 58, Leakey 1971). Las revisiones llevadas a cabo sobre el material recuperado por los Leakey tanto en yacimientos del lecho I como del lecho II, ponen de manifiesto que muchos de los yacimientos considera-dos antrópicos son palimpsestos, re-sultado de la acción de los carnívoros y homininos de manera independiente o con una interacción mínima. Por ejemplo, la mayoría de los yacimientos del lecho I (excepto FLK Zinj) corres-ponden a acumulaciones generadas por felinos (Domínguez-Rodrigo et al. 2007a). En el lecho II las acumulacio-nes óseas en algunos de los yacimien-tos clásicos se deben a muertes natu-rales o a la acción de los carnívoros (MNK Main y HWK East) con un im-pacto menor de los homininos, aunque en algunos yacimientos determinar cuál fue el agente acumulador resulta difícil de discernir (FC West o TK) (Egeland et al, 2008; 12TYravedra et al 201512T)..

Proyecto de musealización de los restos hallados en la estación de Ópera (Metro de Madrid). Reconstrucciones infográficas, escaneo laser 3D y digitalización del patrimonio arqueológico

[ES] Los trabajos de seguimiento arqueológico y paleontológico, asociados al proyecto de implantación de nuevos ascensores en la estación de Metro de Ópera en Madrid, pusieron de manifiesto en el año 2009 la presencia de restos del antiguo entramado urbano de la desaparecida Plazuela de los Caños del Peral (siglos XVI-XVII y XVIII), actualmente Plaza de Isabel II. El alto valor histórico y patrimonial de los restos recuperados, que son elementos significativos del pasado de Madrid, ha supuesto la creación de un espacio musealizado en la misma estación. En el discurso expositivo realizado se han empleado diversas técnicas infográficas, animaciones y visualizaciones 3D de los elementos documentados durante las labores de excavación.[EN] In 2009, the archaeological and paleontological investigation associated with the new lift installation project in Opera Underground Station in Madrid, revealed remains of the ancient town structure of the lost Caños del Peral Square ( XVI-XVII and XVIII centuries), currently known as Isabel II Square. The recovery of these remains, which are of immense historical heritage value since they are significant elements of Madrid’s past, has led to the creation of a museum space in the station itself. In the explanatory document a range of techniques have been used including graphic information, animation and 3D imagery of the elements recorded during the excavation.Penedo Cobo, E.; Moraga Vaz, P.; Organista Labrado, E.; Izquierdo Zamora, Á.; Martínez Granero, AB. (2012). Proyecto de musealización de los restos hallados en la estación de Ópera (Metro de Madrid). Reconstrucciones infográficas, escaneo laser 3D y digitalización del patrimonio arqueológico. Virtual Archaeology Review. 3(6):88-92. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2012.4454OJS889236AYUNTAMIENTO DE MADRID (1986): "Geología, Geomorfología, Hidrogeología y Geotecnia de Madrid. Temas Urbanos. ECOLOGÍA." Área de Urbanismo e Infraestructuras del Ayuntamiento de Madrid.ANDREU MEDIERO, E; MALALANA UREÑA, A; RETUERCE VELASCO, M (1992): "Plaza de Oriente. Arqueología y Evolución Urbana" Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Área de Obras e Infraestructura.COLEGIO OFICIAL DE ARQUITECTOS DE MADRID (1979): "Cartografía básica de la Comunidad de Madrid. Planos históricos, topográficos y parcelarios de los siglos XVII-XVIII-XIX y XX." Comisión de Cultura. Servicio Histórico.GRANDE LEÓN, A (2002): "Itálica virtual. Un proyecto educativo que hace Historia." En PH Boletín del Instituto Andaluz de Patrimonio Hitórico, nº 40/41, pp. 241-247.MARTÍNEZ DÍAZ, ÁNGEL: Espacio, tiempo y proyecto. El entorno urbano del Palacio Real de Madrid entre 1765 y 1885.MARÍN PERELLÓN, F. J.; ORTEGA VIDAL, J, (dir.) (2006): "La forma de la Villa de la Ciudad de Madrid. Soporte gráfico para la información histórica de la ciudad de Madrid" Comunidad de Madrid. Fundación Caja Madrid.RODRÍGEZ ALCALÁ, A. (2004). "La reconstrucción histórica virtual: una herramienta para la formación del arquietcto restaurador". 1er Encuentro internacional sobre experiencias académicas en resaturación, Mérida, FAUADY.SALVADÓ ARQUÉS, F; TORRELLA FONT, A.M.; VILLA SICILIA, A. (2006). "Recosntrucción vrtual de edificios modernistas de Terrassa". Actas del XVIII Congreso Internacional de Ingeniería Gráfica. Sitges, Barcelona. INGEGRAF

Neo-taphonomic analysis of the Misiam leopard lair from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania): understanding leopard–hyena interactions in open settings

Misiam is a modern wildebeest-dominated accumulation situated in a steep ravine covered with dense vegetation at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania). It is interpreted here as a leopard lair to which carcasses have been transported for several years. Felid-specific bone damage patterns, felid-typical skeletal part profiles, taxonomic specialization and the physical presence of leopards observed by the authors show that leopards at Misiam can be specialized medium-sized carcass accumulators. Hyenas also intervened at intervals in the modification of the retrieved faunal assemblage. This makes Misiam a carnivore palimpsest. Here, we additionally show that leopards only transport and accumulate carcasses on occasions, that they can seem highly specialized despite being dietary generalists, and that such a behaviour may be prompted by seasonal competition or during the breeding season or both. Misiam is the first open-air leopard lair with a dense bone accumulation reported. There, leopards engaged in intensive accumulation of carcasses during the wet season, when the southern Serengeti short-grass plains undergo the effect of the famous wildebeest migration and this migratory species reaches the gorge. The ecological importance of this behaviour and its relevance as a proxy for reconstructing prehistoric carnivore behaviours are discussed

The Origin of The Acheulean: The 1.7 Million-Year-Old Site of FLK West, Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)

The appearance of the acheulean is one of the hallmarks of human evolution. It represents the emergence of a complex behavior, expressed in the recurrent manufacture of large-sized tools, with standardized forms, implying more advance forethought and planning by hominins than those required by the precedent Oldowan technology. The earliest known evidence of this technology dates back to c. 1.7 Ma. and is limited to two sites (Kokiselei [Kenya] and Konso [Ethiopia]), both of which lack functionally-associated fauna. The functionality of these earliest Acheulean assemblages remains unknown. Here we present the discovery of another early Acheulean site also dating to c. 1.7 Ma from Olduvai Gorge. This site provides evidence of the earliest steps in developing the Acheulean technology and is the oldest acheulean site in which stone tools occur spatially and functionally associated with the exploitation of fauna. Simple and elaborate large-cutting tools (LCT) and bifacial handaxes co-exist at FLK West, showing that complex cognition was present from the earliest stages of the acheulean. Here we provide a detailed technological study and evidence of the use of these tools on the butchery and consumption of fauna, probably by early Homo erectus sensu lato

En busca del primer Homo: gestión de la investigación arqueológica en la Garganta de Olduvai (Tanzania)

[EN] The sites at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) constitute a unique venue for the study of the first members of the genus Homo. The large amount of fossils recovered and the good state of preservation of these sites have boosted archaeological research in the Gorge throughout the years. The Olduvai Paleoanthropology and Paleoecology Project (TOPPP) research team, present at the Gorge since 2006, launched the construction of the Aguirre-Mturi Scientific Station within the limits of the Ngorongoro National Park with the aim of improving the working conditions and provide a safe working space. The safeguard of the archaeological materials was also one of the cornerstones during the design process and building of the station. The laboratory allows almost immediate cleaning, analysis and restoration of the materials recovered during field work. Meanwhile, in Spain, the Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA), current headquarters of the TOPPP team, was founded with the aim of promoting the study of African paleoanthropology and the origins of humankind in Africa. Along with the research work, TOPPP strives to bring the scientific knowledge to the general public in several ways, including the management of temporary and permanent exhibitions in Spain and Tanzania.[ES] Los yacimientos de la Garganta de Olduvai (Tanzania) constituyen un enclave único para el estudio de los primeros representantes del género Homo. La buena preservación de estos yacimientos y la cantidad de fósiles hallados en ellos posibilita que se sigan desarrollando excavaciones arqueológicas en este lugar. El equipo de investigación The Olduvai Paleoanthropology and Paleoecology Project (TOPPP), que trabaja en estos yacimientos desde 2006, promovió la construcción de la Estación Científica Aguirre-Mturi con el propósito de mejorar las condiciones laborales del personal investigador y de hacer del campamento un lugar seguro de trabajo. Durante el proceso de creación y construcción se tuvo en cuenta la salvaguarda de los materiales arqueológicos, y gracias a la existencia de un laboratorio en el campamento, es posible realizar tareas como la limpieza, el análisis y la restauración del material recuperado. En España, la creación del Instituto de Evolución en África (IDEA), sede actual del equipo TOPPP, nace con el objetivo de promover el estudio de la paleoantropología africana y el origen del ser humano en África. Junto a los trabajos de investigación, TOPPP realiza una intensa actividad divulgativa donde destaca la creación de exposiciones temporales y permanentes en España y Tanzania.A la Comisión para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (COSTECH), a la Autoridad del Área de Conservación del Ngorongoro (NCAA) y al Departamento de Antigüedades y al Ministerio de Turismo y Recursos Naturales en Tanzania por el permiso para investigar en la Garganta de Olduvai. Al Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades por el proyecto concedido (HAR2017-82463-C4-1-P) y por la financiación para los contratos predoctorales de Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU) de MVR y JA; al Ministerio de Cultura a través del Instituto de Patrimonio Cultural de España por las ayudadas concedidas para Proyectos Arqueológicos en el Exterior, y a la Fundación Palarq por las ayudas para apoyar las Misiones de Arqueología y Paleontología Españolas en el en el extranjero.Peer reviewe

Early Pleistocene faunivorous hominins were not kleptoparasitic, and this impacted the evolution of human anatomy and socio-ecology

Humans are unique in their diet, physiology and socio-reproductive behavior compared to other primates. They are also unique in the ubiquitous adaptation to all biomes and habitats. From an evolutionary perspective, these trends seem to have started about two million years ago, coinciding with the emergence of encephalization, the reduction of the dental apparatus, the adoption of a fully terrestrial lifestyle, resulting in the emergence of the modern anatomical bauplan, the focalization of certain activities in the landscape, the use of stone tools, and the exit from Africa. It is in this period that clear taphonomic evidence of a switch in diet with respect to Pliocene hominins occurred, with the adoption of carnivory. Until now, the degree of carnivorism in early humans remained controversial. A persistent hypothesis is that hominins acquired meat irregularly (potentially as fallback food) and opportunistically through klepto-foraging. Here, we test this hypothesis and show, in contrast, that the butchery practices of early Pleistocene hominins (unveiled through systematic study of the patterning and intensity of cut marks on their prey) could not have resulted from having frequent secondary access to carcasses. We provide evidence of hominin primary access to animal resources and emphasize the role that meat played in their diets, their ecology and their anatomical evolution, ultimately resulting in the ecologically unrestricted terrestrial adaptation of our species. This has major implications to the evolution of human physiology and potentially for the evolution of the human brain

A new methodological approach to the taphonomic study of paleontological and archaeological faunal assemblages: a preliminary case study from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)

International audienc

Determining the diagenetic paths of archaeofaunal assemblages and their palaeoecology through artificial intelligence: an application to Oldowan sites from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)

The implementation of deep-learning methods to the taphonomic analysis of the microscopic modification of bone-surface modifications exposed to different chemical diagenetic pathways can effectively discriminate between acidic and alkaline soil properties, indirectly reflecting different ecological conditions. Here we use this novel method to assess the sedimentary conditions of two of the oldest Oldowan archaeofaunal records (DS and PTK, Bed I) from Olduvai Gorge Bed I in Tanzania. We show how the results support different diagenetic conditions for both penecontemporaneous sites, which are appropriate for their respective locations on the palaeolandscape to which they belonged. We also show how geochemical analyses of the clay deposit that embedded both sites indicate a similar soil pH divergence. PTK was formed on an alluvial sloping surface affected by rills but draining efficiently, which resulted in alkaline soil conditions, that optimised bone-surface preservation. DS occurred in a more depressed area that underwent intermittent flooding, affecting soil chemistry by creating more acidic conditions. This impacted on bone surfaces by dynamically modifying mark morphology. This deep-learning approach has relevance for the interpretation of the local palaeoecological conditions of both assemblages and their respective depositional loci. The results presented here open a new window to the incremental information gain through the use of artificial intelligence methods in taphonomic and palaeoecological research

Level U3.1, a new archaeological level discovered at BK (upper bed II, Olduvai Gorge) with evidence of megafaunal exploitation

Excavations at Bell Korongo (BK) have yielded important evidence to infer different behaviours of early hominins in several archaeological levels since 1935. The present study shows the results for a newly geological and archaeological of BK (Level U3.1). This paper describes the geology of this newly discovered level, along with a taphonomical analysis of the archaeological remains to better understand the assemblage formation processes. This new level was deposited at the base of LA Unit 3, in decantation facies over a point-bar. Although these facies, found throughout the site furnish ideal conditions for preservation, this is the first time in BK level U3.1 that any archaeological or paleontological remains have been found embedded within them. The taphonomic study suggests that the assemblage is the result of a short time span involving processes accumulating remains from different thanatocoenoses created over a time span of less than one year, consistent with a sedimentation process triggered by flooding of the channel during the annual heavy rains in the wet season. Furthermore, a large percentage of bones, including megafaunal remains, appear cutmarked, percussion marks and anthropgenic green fractures. Level U3.1 is the youngest level at BK, and adds to the evidence of the megafaunal exploitation behaviour of early Pleistocene hominins, which has already been extensively reported in BK Levels 4 and 5 and other African Lower Pleistocene sites.We thank COSTECH and the Antiquities Unit (Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism) of Tanzania for permission to conduct researchat Olduvai. DMMP acknowledges an FPI postgraduate fellowship associated to Project CGL2015-68333-P. MSD acknowledges a postdoctoral fellowship under the program “Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships” (European Commission). We would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, the general directionof Fine Arts and Cultural Heritage and the Spanish Institute of Cultural Heritage, with fellowships to archaeological projects overseas to project PR47/1720999: “La explotación de megafaunas en el Paleolítico inferior africano. Nuevas perspectivas desde BK (Bell Korongo, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)”. We would like to thank the PALARQ Foundation with fellowships to archaeological projects overseas to project: AY200818/01, “Estrategia de subsistencia y explotación de megafaunas durante el final de Pleistoceno inferior africano y su implicación en la dispersión de Homo erectus (Bell Korongo, Olduvai)- Tanzania ”Thesupport of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE-Pal) towards this research is hereby acknowledged

Did Homo erectus kill a Pelorovis herd at BK (Olduvai Gorge)? A taphonomic study of BK5

New research and excavations at Bell Korongo (BK, Olduvai Gorge, Upper Bed II) have uncovered a dense concentration of megafauna that contributes to our understanding of Homo erectus subsistence strategies around 1.34 Ma. Recent work has yielded clear taphonomic evidence for the exploitation of large-sized animals. The frequency and distribution of cut marks, for example, indicates that hominins enjoyed early access to substantial amounts of meat. This degree of carcass processing, particularly megafauna, suggests that the human group(s) exploiting them were large and had significant nutritional needs.Here, we build upon this work by presenting the first comprehensive taphonomic analysis of the faunal material excavated by the Leakeys at BK between 1952 and 1957 corresponding to 24 Pelorovis oldowayensis. Leakey’s assemblage was biased due to selective collection of the most readily identifiable specimens, among which long bone shafts were not ncluded. The recent assemblage reflects the relevance of using long bone shafts to overcome the equifinality of the alternative scenarios proposed to explain the accumulation of Pelorovis.The analysis of The Olduvai Paleoanthropology and Paleoecology Project’s (TOPPP) recent assemblage sheds light on the reconstruction of hominin strategies of carcass acquisition at BK