| HAL: halshs-00003986, version 1 |
| DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.01.008 |
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| Journal of Human Evolution 46 (2004) 751-761 |
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| The earliest human occupation of North Africa: a reply to Sahnouni et al. (2002) |
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| Denis Geraads 1Jean-Paul Raynal 2 |
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| In a series of papers, Sahnouni et al. (1996, 2002) and Sahnouni and de Heinzelin (1998) have reported the results of their renewed excavations at the important Algerian localities of Ain Hanech and Ain Boucherit, first studied by Arambourg (e.g., Arambourg, 1970, 1979). According to the latest paper by Sahnouni and co-workers (Sahnouni et al., 2002), Ain Hanech would belong to the Olduvai subchron, dated to 1.77–1.95 Ma. This would make it by far the earliest North African site with evidence of hominid presence, and the time-equivalent of Olduvai Bed I, circum- KBS tuff levels at Koobi Fora, and Omo Shungura Member H. However, a review of the evidence put forward by Sahnouni et al. (2002) casts doubt on their conclusions. This evidence consists of 1) paleomagnetism, 2) biochronology, and 3) archaeology. They are discussed in this order below, preceded by a review of the more continuous Moroccan Atlantic sequence. |
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| 1: | Dynamique de l'évolution humaine : individus, populations, espèces (DEHIPE) |
| CNRS : UPR2147 | |
| 2: | de la Préhistoire à l'Actuel, Cultures, Environnement, Anthropologie (PACEA) |
| CNRS : UMR5199 – Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux I – Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication | |
| 3: | Paléobiodiversité et paléoenvironnements |
| CNRS : UMR5143 – Université Pierre et Marie Curie [UPMC] - Paris VI | |
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| Subject | : | Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory |
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| Morocco – Algeria – North Africa – Early Pleistocene – Early hominids – Occupation site |
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| Attached file list to this document: | |||||
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| halshs-00003986, version 1 | |
| http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00003986 | |
| oai:halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr:halshs-00003986 | |
| From: Jean-Paul Raynal | |
| Submitted on: Thursday, 7 July 2005 18:27:08 | |
| Updated on: Tuesday, 28 February 2006 18:31:29 | |