East Africa could lose its crown as "cradle of humanity"

Algerian archaeologists have discovered stone tools and animal bones that can reach up to 2.4 million years ago, challenging the title of Africa 's. Is as the cradle of humanity, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

by Amal BELALLOUFI

The artefacts – older than those discovered in the region until now – were found in Setif, some 300 km east of Algiers, by a team of international researchers, including Algerians.

The tools are very similar to those called Oldowan, which until now was mainly in East Africa.

The tools were unearthed by dozens of fossilized animal bones containing cutting marks, as though it were remains of prehistoric butchers.

Bones came from animals, including ancestors of crocodiles, elephants and hippos.

"East Africa is widely regarded as the cradle of the use of stone tools by our hominid ancestors – early examples date back to around 2.6 million years ago," the report says in Science.

"The new findings make Ain Boucherit the oldest site in North Africa, with in situ evidence of use of hominin meat with badociated stone tools, and suggest that other similar sites could be discovered outside the Rift.

One hypothesis is that early ancestors of modern humans quickly took with them stone tools from East Africa and into other parts of the continent.

Another scenario is a "multiple origin scenario", in which early hominids made and used tools in East Africa and North Africa.

"The site of Ain Lahnech is the second oldest in the world after Gona in Ethiopia, which dates back to 2.6 million years ago and is widely regarded as the cradle of humanity," said to AFP Mohamed Sahouni, lead author.

The discoveries were made in two layers: one dating back 2.4 million years and the second 1.9 million years old.

– More in the Sahara? –

The results suggest that the ancestors of modern peoples were present in North Africa at least 600,000 years earlier than scientists thought.

Until now, the oldest known tools of North Africa were 1.8 million years old and were discovered on a nearby site.

No human remains were found. As a result, scientists do not know which species of hominids were on the site nor which former cousin of homo sapiens (appeared much later) used these tools.

The excavations were undertaken by experts from research institutions in Spain, Algeria, Australia and France.

"Now that Ain Boucherit has delivered the archeology of Oldowan estimated at 2.4 million years ago, North Africa and the Sahara could constitute a repository of archaeological materials. additional, "says the study.

"Based on the potential of Ain Boucherit and adjacent sedimentary basins, we suggest that hominin fossils and artifacts from Oldowan as old as those documented in East Africa. could also be discovered in North Africa. " DM

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