Early Oldowan technology thrived during Pliocene environmental change in the Turkana Basin, Kenya

Approximately 2.75 million years ago, the Turkana Basin in Kenya experienced environmental changes, including increased aridity and environmental variability. Namorotukunan is a newly discovered archaeological site which provides a window into hominin behavioral adaptations. This site lies within the upper Tulu Bor and lower Burgi members of the Koobi Fora Formation (Marsabit District, Kenya), presently a poorly understood time interval due to large-scale erosional events. Moreover, this locale represents the earliest known evidence of Oldowan technology within the Koobi Fora Formation. Oldowan sites, older than 2.6 million years ago, are rare, and these typically represent insights from narrow windows of time. In contrast, Namorotukunan provides evidence of tool-making behaviors spanning hundreds of thousands of years, offering a unique temporal perspective on technological stability. The site comprises three distinct archaeological horizons spanning approximately 300,000 years (2.75 - 2.44 Ma). Our findings suggest continuity in tool-making practices over time, with evidence of systematic selection of rock types. Geological descriptions and chronological data, provide robust age control and contextualize the archaeological finds. We employ multiple paleoenvironmental proxies, to reconstruct past ecological conditions. Our study highlights the interplay between environmental shifts and technological innovations, shedding light on pivotal factors in the trajectory of human evolution.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-11-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64244-x
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
34.04

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article

Early Oldowan technology thrived during Pliocene environmental change in the Turkana Basin, Kenya

Katherine Elmes, Susana Carvalho, Jonathan S. Reeves, Niguss Baraki et al.
3 citations
Nature Communications
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
34.04
article

Early Oldowan technology thrived during Pliocene environmental change in the Turkana Basin, Kenya

Katherine Elmes, Susana Carvalho, Jonathan S. Reeves, Niguss Baraki, Maryse Biernat, Frances Forrest, Diana C. Roman, René Bobe, Dan V. Palcu, David R. Braun, Amanda McGrosky, Luigi Jovane, Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Kristen Tuosto, Eldert L. Advokaat, Paul R.D. Mason, Ana Paula de Martini, Kevin T. Uno, Ashley S. Hammond, Amelia Villaseñor, Ella Beaudoin, William Archer, Rahab N. Kinyanjui, Mark J. Sier, Emmanuel Ndiema, Jonathan G. Wynn, Priyeshu Srivastava, David B. Patterson, John Harris, Joanne Munga
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Approximately 2.75 million years ago, the Turkana Basin in Kenya experienced environmental changes, including increased aridity and environmental variability. Namorotukunan is a newly discovered archaeological site which provides a window into hominin behavioral adaptations. This site lies within the upper Tulu Bor and lower Burgi members of the Koobi Fora Formation (Marsabit District, Kenya), presently a poorly understood time interval due to large-scale erosional events. Moreover, this locale represents the earliest known evidence of Oldowan technology within the Koobi Fora Formation. Oldowan sites, older than 2.6 million years ago, are rare, and these typically represent insights from narrow windows of time. In contrast, Namorotukunan provides evidence of tool-making behaviors spanning hundreds of thousands of years, offering a unique temporal perspective on technological stability. The site comprises three distinct archaeological horizons spanning approximately 300,000 years (2.75 - 2.44 Ma). Our findings suggest continuity in tool-making practices over time, with evidence of systematic selection of rock types. Geological descriptions and chronological data, provide robust age control and contextualize the archaeological finds. We employ multiple paleoenvironmental proxies, to reconstruct past ecological conditions. Our study highlights the interplay between environmental shifts and technological innovations, shedding light on pivotal factors in the trajectory of human evolution.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES), Leiden University (NL), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES), Fairfield University (US), Planetary Science Institute (US), U.S. National Science Foundation (US), American Museum of Natural History (US), National Museum of Natural History (US), Harvard University (US), University of Cape Town (ZA), Elon University (US), Duke University (US), Universidade do Porto (PT), George Washington University (US), Utrecht University (NL), Carnegie Institution for Science (US), University of Cambridge (GB), University of the Free State (ZA), Ocean Institute (US), University of Oxford (GB), National Museum (ZA), Gorongosa National Park (MZ), Instituto Español de Oceanografía (ES), Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (ES), GeoEcoMar (RO), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (DE), Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ES), National Museums of Kenya (KE), Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (DE), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IN), Addis Ababa University (ET), Arizona State University (US), Geological Survey of India (IN), University of Algarve (PT), University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US), University of North Georgia (US)
National Science Foundation, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
34.04
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