The hominin site of Tighennif (Algeria) revisited: new investigations on Homo erectus behavior and adaptation

Abstract

New investigations have been conducted recently at the hominin site of Tighennif (formerly Terni¬fine), Algeria to examine Homo erectus behavior and land use patterns in arid environment during the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition (MPT) dated to 1.2-0.8 Ma. Tighennif correlates with the occurrence of an open/dry environment, and has also yielded H. erectus fossils associated with a savanna-like fauna and an Acheulean industry. The multidisciplinary investigations, carried out at Tighennif, include: excavating and assessing archaeological remains for site formation processes; securing the age of the site using magnetostratigraphy, ESR, OSL, and mammalian biochronology; reconstructing H. erectus paleoecology and subsistence patterns; and characterizing the Acheulean assemblages. The dating and sediment analyses are still underway, but the excavation has revealed that fossil bones, including cutmarked specimens, and associated artifacts were accumulated in pri¬mary context. The bone assemblage includes elephant, equids, rhino, hippo, bovids and carnivores. The artifacts comprise bifaces, large flakes, cores, retouched pieces, and small debitage. The study of the association of the Acheulean artifacts with animal bones and their adaptive significance to open/dry environment is currently in progress.