The Dikika Research Project is one of many paleontological projects that have been conducted over the past thirty years within the archaeologically rich Afar Region of Ethiopia. In particular, the Afar Region is known for Lower Paleolithic sites, traditionally dated between about 2.7 million to 200,000 years ago. The Lower Paleolithic is traditionally conceived as beginning when the first human behaviors began: including butchery and the making of stone tools.
Before this discovery, the earliest evidence for stone tool manufacture was at Gona and Bouri, both nearby, and both dated to approximately 2.7 million years ago. The discovery of cut marks on bone dating to 3.4 million years ago, if correct, pushes the Lower Paleolithic back another 800,000 years.
In addition, both Gona and Bouri are believed to have been Homo habilis sites. Up until now we've believed that stone tool use was a strictly Homo behavior--the site of DIK-55 is the first evidence tying stone tool use to Australopithecenes.
Sources and Further Information
- Selam (the "Dikika Baby", A. afarensis discovered by Alemseleged et al.)
- Gona
- Bouri
- Australopithecus
McPherron SP, Alemseged Z, Marean CW, Wynn JG, Reed D, Geraads D, Bobe R, and Bearat HA. 2010. Evidence for stone-tool-assisted consumption of animal tissues before 3.39 million years ago at Dikika, Ethiopia. Nature 466:857-860.
