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Early Hominin Activity Traces at FxJj43, a One and a Half Million Year Old Locality in the Koobi Fora Formation, in Northern Kenya: a Field Report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Nicola Stern
Nicola Stern
Affiliation:
Archaeology Program, La Trobe University, Bundoora Victoria 3086
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Abstract

FxJj43 is one of a series of Early Stone Age archaeological sites preserved in the Okote Member of the Koobi Fora Formation, in northern Kenya. It is the focus of a new research project that aims to explore the impact of time-averaging on the composition and characteristics of Early Stone Age archaeological assemblages. FxJj43 lends itself particularly well to this exercise because, unlike other sites in the Okote Member, it preserves a laterally extensive set of interlocking landforms. These include part of a sandy river channel, its southern bank, levee, and adjacent floodplain.

Chipped stone artefacts and broken-up animal bones occur in clusters of varying size and density all the way along the 200 m long strip of outcrops containing the remnants of these landforms. Small-scale excavations aimed at investigating the characteristics of archaeological assemblages preserved in different palaeotopographic settings, and in clusters of varying size and density, suggest the existence of archaeological occurrences representing different amounts of overprinting. This underscores the long-term research potential of this locality for exploring the relationship between the material remains of individual behavioural events and agglomerations of debris resulting from many, often unrelated sets of activities.

Résumé

FxJj43 est une des séries de sites archéologiques du début de l'âge de la pierre préservés dans l' Okote Member de la formation Kooki Fora, dans le nord du Kenya. Il fait l'objet d'un nouveau programme de recherches qui a pour but d'explorer l'impact de l'utilisation d'une moyenne pour le temps sur la composition et les caractéristiques des assemblages archéologiques du début de l'âge de la pierre. FxJj43 se prête particulièrement bien à cet exercice parce que, contrairement aux autres sites de l'Okote Member, il a conservé un ensemble latéralement extensif de formes physiques entrelacées. Celles-ci comprennent une partie du lit d'une rivière sablonneuse, sa rive sud, une digue et la plaine inondable adjacente.

Des objets en pierre ébréchés et des os d'animaux cassés ont été retrouvés en groupes de taille et de densité variables tout au long de la bande d'affleurement, longue de 200 mètres, comprenant les restes de ces formations. Des fouilles sur une petite échelle destinées à étudier les caractéristiques des assemblages archéologiques préservés dans les différents cadres paléo-topographiques, et dans les groupements de diverses tailles et densités, suggèrent l'existence d'événements archéologiques représentant différents degrés de sur-impression. Ceci souligne le potentiel de recherches à long terme de cette localité pour l'exploration de la relation entre vestiges matériels provenant d'événements liés au comportement individuel et accumulation de débris provenant d'un grand nombre d'ensembles d'activités, souvent sans aucun lien entre eux.

Zusammenfassung

FxJj43 ist eine von mehreren archäologischen Fundstellen aus der frühen Seinzeit, die sich in der Okote Member der Koobi Fora Formation im nördlichen Kenia erhalten haben. Sie ist das Zentrum eines Forschungsprojektes, das zum Ziel hat, den Einfluss von Zeitfaktoren auf die Zusammen Setzung und die Merkmale von frühsteinzeitlichen Inventaren zu untersuchen. FxJj43 bietet sich besonders gut für diese Untersuchung an, weil sich hier, im Gegensatz zu anderen Fundstellen in der Okote Member, eine seitwärts ausgedehnte Ansammlung von ineinander greifenden Landschaftsformen erhalten hat. Diese umfassen einen Teil eines sandigen Fluss-Kanals, sein südliches Ufer, einen Deich und die angrenzende Aue.

Absplissartefakte und abgebrochene Tierknochen kommen in Clustern unterschiedlicher Größe und Dichte auf der gesamten Länge der 200 m langen Streifen der Aufschlüsse vor, die die Überreste dieser Landschaftsformen enthalten. Ausgrabungen kleineren Ausmaßes, die die Merkmale der erhaltenen archäologischen Inventare in den verschiedenen paläotopographischen Ansammlungen und in Clustern unterschiedlicher Größe und Dichte untersuchen, deuten auf archäologische Vorkommen an, die eine verschiedene Anzahl von Überlagerungen darstellen. Dies unterstreicht das langfristige Forschungspotential dieser Örtlichkeit, die Beziehung zwischen den materiellen Resten von individuellen Verhaltensereignissen und der Anlagerung von Abfall, der von vielen, häufigen aber unverbundenen Aktivitäten herrühren, zu untersuchen.

Résumen

FxJj43 es uno en una serie de yacimientos arqueológicos de la Primera Edad de Piedra preservados en el Okote Member de la Formación de Koobi Fora, al norte de Kenya. Es el centro de un nuevo proyecto de investigación cuyo fín es explorar el impacto del tiempo en la unificación de la composición y características de los conjuntos arqueológicos de la Primera Edad de Piedra. FxJj43 se presta particularmente bien a este tipo de ejercicio, puesto que, al contrario que en otros yacimientos en el Okote Member, se han preservado un grupo de formas geológicas entrelazadas en extensión lateral, que incluyen parte de un cauce fluvial arenoso, su ribera, dique y valle fluvial sures.

Útiles de piedra tallados y huesos animales fragmentados aparecen en grupos de diversos tamaños y densidades a lo largo de los 200 m de la franja de afloramientos que contienen los restos de estas formas geológicas. Excavaciones en pequeña escala dirigidas a investigar las características de las colecciones arqueológicas preservadas en los distintos marcos paleo-topográficos, y en grupos de distintos tamaños y densidades, sugieren la existencia de sucesos arqueológicos que representan distintas niveles de superposición. Esto subraya el potencial a largo plazo de esta localidad para la exploraión de las relaciones entre los restos materiales resultantes de comportamientos individuales y las aglomeraciones de desecho que resultan de muchas series de actividades a menudo no relacionadas entre si.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 70 , 2004 , pp. 233 - 258
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2004

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