- Grotte des Pigeons, 82,500, 13 perforated Nassarius gibbosulus, 10 stained with red ochre
- Oued Djebbana, 60,000-90,000, 1 Nassarius gibbosulus
The Aterian industry is associated with early modern humans across most of North Africa, from Morocco to Egypt. Leaf-shaped and tanged projectile points, and a range of sophisticated stone tools characterize the assemblages. While dates for the Aterian are currently under debate, the industry is believed to span between about 90,000 and 40,000 years ago.
The 13 Nassarius gibbosulus shells recovered from Grotte des Pigeons were all collected as dead shells from the Mediterranean coastline, some 40 kilometers away. It is apparent that at least some of the shells were purposefully perforated. Use wear on the shels appears to suggest the shells were suspended by a cord of some kind. Red ochre stained one unperforated and non perforated shells. The length of the shells ranges between 15-18 mm, larger than the current size of modern representatives and with a slightly thicker shell.
Oued Djebbana is an open-air site, located some 200 kilometers from the Mediterranean coastline in Algeria. A single perforated N. gibbosulus was recovered from the Aterian components, that has been perforated, probably punched using a bone or wooden awl. The shell measured about 16 mm long.
Sources and Further Information
Bibliography of Behavioral Modernity
- Aterian Industry
- Grotte des Pigeons (Morocco)
- Red ochre
Bouzouggar, A., et al. 2007 82,000-year-old shell beads from North Africa and implications for the origins of modern human behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(24):9964-9969.
Vanhaeren, Marian, et al. 2006 Middle Paleolithic Shell Beads in Israel and Algeria. Science 312:1785-1788.
