New Oldowan localities at high level within Kilombe Caldera, Kenya De nouvelles localités oldowayennes à un niveau élevé dans la caldeira de Kilombe, au Kenya

Gowlett JA, Stanistreet IG, Albert RM, Blackbird SJ, Herries AI, Hoare S, Kogai P, Komboh CK, Mark DF, Muriuki RM, Murphy H, Rucina SM, Stollhofen H (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Anthropologie Elsevier Masson

Book Volume: 126

Article Number: 102976

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1016/j.anthro.2021.102976

Abstract

New occurrences of early artefacts ascribed to the Oldowan tradition come from localities at high level within the caldera of the extinct Kilombe volcano, located in the central rift valley of Kenya. The trachyte cone and caldera of Kilombe volcano formed at ca. 2.5 Ma, and the record of >130 m of sediment-fill indicates that the caldera subsequently held a lake for long periods during the Early Pleistocene. The Oldowan artefact localities, dated by 40Ar/39Ar and palaeomagnetism to ∼1.78 Ma, lie east of the centre of the caldera, on the west side of an ancient small lake, which later drained away as a gorge formed on the east side of the mountain. The artefacts are dominantly made of Kilombe trachyte, and are associated with a fauna of large animals including Hippopotamus gorgops. These are the first Oldowan localities to be discovered in a new area of the Kenyan rift valley in the last thirty years, and their presence at high level in rugged landscape indicates that the associated hominins were exploiting a full range of environments.

Authors with CRIS profile

Harald Stollhofen Lehrstuhl für Geologie (Exogene Dynamik)

Involved external institutions

The University of Liverpool GB United Kingdom (GB) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) / University of Barcelona ES Spain (ES) La Trobe University AU Australia (AU) National Museums of Kenya KE Kenya (KE) Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre GB United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Gowlett, J.A., Stanistreet, I.G., Albert, R.M., Blackbird, S.J., Herries, A.I., Hoare, S.,... Stollhofen, H. (2022). New Oldowan localities at high level within Kilombe Caldera, Kenya De nouvelles localités oldowayennes à un niveau élevé dans la caldeira de Kilombe, au Kenya. Anthropologie, 126(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anthro.2021.102976

MLA:

Gowlett, John A.J., et al. "New Oldowan localities at high level within Kilombe Caldera, Kenya De nouvelles localités oldowayennes à un niveau élevé dans la caldeira de Kilombe, au Kenya." Anthropologie 126.1 (2022).

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