Goda Buticha is a cave site near Dire Dawa in southeastern Ethiopia that contains an archaeologic... more Goda Buticha is a cave site near Dire Dawa in southeastern Ethiopia that contains an archaeological sequence sampling the late Pleistocene and Holocene of the region. The sedimentary sequence displays complex cultural, chronological and sedimentological histories that seem incongruent with one another. A first set of radiocarbon ages suggested a long sedimentological gap from the end of Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3 to the mid-Holocene. Macroscopic observations suggest that the main sedimentological change does not coincide with the chronostratigraphic hiatus. The cultural sequence shows technological continuity with a late persistence of artifacts that are usually attributed to the Middle Stone Age into the younger parts of the stratigraphic sequence, yet become increasingly associated with lithic artifacts typically related to the Later Stone Age. While not a unique case, this combination of features is unusual in the Horn of Africa. In order to evaluate the possible implications ...
Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991-1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in additi... more Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991-1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in addition to those recovered in the 1960s. Amud 9 is a partial right distal leg and foot that preserves portions of the distal tibia, talus, first metatarsal, first proximal phalanx, and a middle and distal phalanx of digit II-IV. The bones are fairly small and likely belonged to a female. The talus features a strongly projecting fibular articular facet in common with Neandertals and many tali from Sima de los Huesos. Discriminant analysis of the talus shows that its nearest match lies among tali from Sima de los Huesos, a result primarily attributable to its moderately enlarged posterior trochlear articular breadth. The first metatarsal falls among Neandertals in discriminant space. The pedal phalan-ges are short and broad, in common with other Neandertals. The length of the first metatarsal and talus predict a female's stature of 160-166cm and the width of the talar trochlea predicts a body mass of 59.9kg. The bones were found within anthropogenic deposits dated date to 55 ka, very close in time to the proposed main pulse of Neandertal interbreeding, as inferred from living people's DNA, and slightly before the first appearance of Upper Paleolithic industries.
Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991–1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in additi... more Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991–1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in addition to those recovered in the 1960s. Amud 9 is a partial right distal leg and foot that preserves portions of the distal tibia, talus, first metatarsal, first proximal phalanx, and a middle and distal phalanx of digit II-IV. The bones are fairly small and likely belonged to a female. The talus features a strongly projecting fibular articular facet in common with Neandertals and many tali from Sima de los Huesos. Discriminant analysis of the talus shows that its nearest match lies among tali from Sima de los Huesos, a result primarily attributable to its moderately enlarged posterior trochlear articular breadth. The first metatarsal falls among Neandertals in discriminant space. The pedal phalan- ges are short and broad, in common with other Neandertals. The length of the first metatarsal and talus predict a female’s stature of 160–166cm and the width of the talar trochlea predicts a body mass of 59.9kg. The bones were found within anthropogenic deposits dated date to 55 ka, very close in time to the proposed main pulse of Neandertal interbreeding, as inferred from living people’s DNA, and slightly before the first appearance of Upper Paleolithic industries.
Goda Buticha is a newly discovered cave site in southeastern Ethiopia, containing MSA and LSA cul... more Goda Buticha is a newly discovered cave site in southeastern Ethiopia, containing MSA and LSA cultural
material, faunal remains, beads, and human skeletal remains. A 2.3 m-deep sedimentary sequence records two occupational phases separated by a sharp chronological hiatus, in the Upper Pleistocene (~ 43-31.5 ka cal BP) and in the mid- Holocene (7.8-4.7 ka cal BP). Faunal remains suggest changes in paleoecological conditions that are in agreement with patterns documented in regional speleothembased reconstructions. The lithic assemblage at the base of the sequence is clearly MSA, with Levallois
production, unifacial and bifacial points, relatively large debitage and use of local raw materials, associated
with a microlithic component. The overlaying LSA assemblage contains diagnostic artifacts (backed microliths and bladelet production), with ubiquitous use of obsidian and MSA elements that appear in the Holocene. In the absence of indications for post-depositional mixture, the apparent cultural continuity of MSA elements from the Upper Pleistocene into the Middle Holocene at Goda Buticha may represent yet another variation of the elusive MSA/LSA transition. Goda Buticha is a key site for reevaluating the dynamics and tempo of this transition in eastern Africa.
The horn of Africa provides the setting for the evolution of early modern humans and their disper... more The horn of Africa provides the setting for the evolution of early modern humans and their dispersal out of Africa as well as for the entry, many thousands of years later, of pastoralists who brought Near Eastern and, later, South Asian livestock into Africa. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the late Upper Pleistocene archaeological record of the horn of Africa, mainly due to the paucity of well-stratified sites from the period. The discovery in southeastern Ethiopia of a number of caves with rich Upper Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological deposits, many of which also had rock art depicting
domestic animals, offers an unprecedented opportunity for exploring the later prehistory of the region. In 2007, 2008 our survey documented twenty-one cave sites and shelters with evidence of cultural deposits, including Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) stone artifacts, faunal remains, and rock art. Active and fossil speleothems, important for paleoclimatic reconstructions and chronology,
were found from two other caves in eastern and western Harerghe. Test excavations were conducted at three sites, with abundant archaeological material documented from stratified deposits at two of these sites e Gilbo Tate and Goda Buticha. The latter is a subject of another paper in this volume. Rock art was recorded at eighteen sites, three of which (in western Harerghe) had not previously been documented. At many of the sites, much of the art is faded and in a vulnerable state, and continued efforts to document
and conserve this art are urgently needed.
Goda Buticha is a cave site near Dire Dawa in southeastern Ethiopia that contains an archaeologic... more Goda Buticha is a cave site near Dire Dawa in southeastern Ethiopia that contains an archaeological sequence sampling the late Pleistocene and Holocene of the region. The sedimentary sequence displays complex cultural, chronological and sedimentological histories that seem incongruent with one another. A first set of radiocarbon ages suggested a long sedimentological gap from the end of Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3 to the mid-Holocene. Macroscopic observations suggest that the main sedimentological change does not coincide with the chronostratigraphic hiatus. The cultural sequence shows technological continuity with a late persistence of artifacts that are usually attributed to the Middle Stone Age into the younger parts of the stratigraphic sequence, yet become increasingly associated with lithic artifacts typically related to the Later Stone Age. While not a unique case, this combination of features is unusual in the Horn of Africa. In order to evaluate the possible implications ...
Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991-1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in additi... more Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991-1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in addition to those recovered in the 1960s. Amud 9 is a partial right distal leg and foot that preserves portions of the distal tibia, talus, first metatarsal, first proximal phalanx, and a middle and distal phalanx of digit II-IV. The bones are fairly small and likely belonged to a female. The talus features a strongly projecting fibular articular facet in common with Neandertals and many tali from Sima de los Huesos. Discriminant analysis of the talus shows that its nearest match lies among tali from Sima de los Huesos, a result primarily attributable to its moderately enlarged posterior trochlear articular breadth. The first metatarsal falls among Neandertals in discriminant space. The pedal phalan-ges are short and broad, in common with other Neandertals. The length of the first metatarsal and talus predict a female's stature of 160-166cm and the width of the talar trochlea predicts a body mass of 59.9kg. The bones were found within anthropogenic deposits dated date to 55 ka, very close in time to the proposed main pulse of Neandertal interbreeding, as inferred from living people's DNA, and slightly before the first appearance of Upper Paleolithic industries.
Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991–1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in additi... more Excavations of Amud Cave in 1991–1994 yielded 14 hominin skeletal specimens (Amud 5-19) in addition to those recovered in the 1960s. Amud 9 is a partial right distal leg and foot that preserves portions of the distal tibia, talus, first metatarsal, first proximal phalanx, and a middle and distal phalanx of digit II-IV. The bones are fairly small and likely belonged to a female. The talus features a strongly projecting fibular articular facet in common with Neandertals and many tali from Sima de los Huesos. Discriminant analysis of the talus shows that its nearest match lies among tali from Sima de los Huesos, a result primarily attributable to its moderately enlarged posterior trochlear articular breadth. The first metatarsal falls among Neandertals in discriminant space. The pedal phalan- ges are short and broad, in common with other Neandertals. The length of the first metatarsal and talus predict a female’s stature of 160–166cm and the width of the talar trochlea predicts a body mass of 59.9kg. The bones were found within anthropogenic deposits dated date to 55 ka, very close in time to the proposed main pulse of Neandertal interbreeding, as inferred from living people’s DNA, and slightly before the first appearance of Upper Paleolithic industries.
Goda Buticha is a newly discovered cave site in southeastern Ethiopia, containing MSA and LSA cul... more Goda Buticha is a newly discovered cave site in southeastern Ethiopia, containing MSA and LSA cultural
material, faunal remains, beads, and human skeletal remains. A 2.3 m-deep sedimentary sequence records two occupational phases separated by a sharp chronological hiatus, in the Upper Pleistocene (~ 43-31.5 ka cal BP) and in the mid- Holocene (7.8-4.7 ka cal BP). Faunal remains suggest changes in paleoecological conditions that are in agreement with patterns documented in regional speleothembased reconstructions. The lithic assemblage at the base of the sequence is clearly MSA, with Levallois
production, unifacial and bifacial points, relatively large debitage and use of local raw materials, associated
with a microlithic component. The overlaying LSA assemblage contains diagnostic artifacts (backed microliths and bladelet production), with ubiquitous use of obsidian and MSA elements that appear in the Holocene. In the absence of indications for post-depositional mixture, the apparent cultural continuity of MSA elements from the Upper Pleistocene into the Middle Holocene at Goda Buticha may represent yet another variation of the elusive MSA/LSA transition. Goda Buticha is a key site for reevaluating the dynamics and tempo of this transition in eastern Africa.
The horn of Africa provides the setting for the evolution of early modern humans and their disper... more The horn of Africa provides the setting for the evolution of early modern humans and their dispersal out of Africa as well as for the entry, many thousands of years later, of pastoralists who brought Near Eastern and, later, South Asian livestock into Africa. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the late Upper Pleistocene archaeological record of the horn of Africa, mainly due to the paucity of well-stratified sites from the period. The discovery in southeastern Ethiopia of a number of caves with rich Upper Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological deposits, many of which also had rock art depicting
domestic animals, offers an unprecedented opportunity for exploring the later prehistory of the region. In 2007, 2008 our survey documented twenty-one cave sites and shelters with evidence of cultural deposits, including Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) stone artifacts, faunal remains, and rock art. Active and fossil speleothems, important for paleoclimatic reconstructions and chronology,
were found from two other caves in eastern and western Harerghe. Test excavations were conducted at three sites, with abundant archaeological material documented from stratified deposits at two of these sites e Gilbo Tate and Goda Buticha. The latter is a subject of another paper in this volume. Rock art was recorded at eighteen sites, three of which (in western Harerghe) had not previously been documented. At many of the sites, much of the art is faded and in a vulnerable state, and continued efforts to document
and conserve this art are urgently needed.
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Papers by Osbjorn (Ozzie) Pearson
material, faunal remains, beads, and human skeletal remains. A 2.3 m-deep sedimentary sequence records two occupational phases separated by a sharp chronological hiatus, in the Upper Pleistocene (~ 43-31.5 ka cal BP) and in the mid- Holocene (7.8-4.7 ka cal BP). Faunal remains suggest changes in paleoecological conditions that are in agreement with patterns documented in regional speleothembased reconstructions. The lithic assemblage at the base of the sequence is clearly MSA, with Levallois
production, unifacial and bifacial points, relatively large debitage and use of local raw materials, associated
with a microlithic component. The overlaying LSA assemblage contains diagnostic artifacts (backed microliths and bladelet production), with ubiquitous use of obsidian and MSA elements that appear in the Holocene. In the absence of indications for post-depositional mixture, the apparent cultural continuity of MSA elements from the Upper Pleistocene into the Middle Holocene at Goda Buticha may represent yet another variation of the elusive MSA/LSA transition. Goda Buticha is a key site for reevaluating the dynamics and tempo of this transition in eastern Africa.
domestic animals, offers an unprecedented opportunity for exploring the later prehistory of the region. In 2007, 2008 our survey documented twenty-one cave sites and shelters with evidence of cultural deposits, including Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) stone artifacts, faunal remains, and rock art. Active and fossil speleothems, important for paleoclimatic reconstructions and chronology,
were found from two other caves in eastern and western Harerghe. Test excavations were conducted at three sites, with abundant archaeological material documented from stratified deposits at two of these sites e Gilbo Tate and Goda Buticha. The latter is a subject of another paper in this volume. Rock art was recorded at eighteen sites, three of which (in western Harerghe) had not previously been documented. At many of the sites, much of the art is faded and in a vulnerable state, and continued efforts to document
and conserve this art are urgently needed.
material, faunal remains, beads, and human skeletal remains. A 2.3 m-deep sedimentary sequence records two occupational phases separated by a sharp chronological hiatus, in the Upper Pleistocene (~ 43-31.5 ka cal BP) and in the mid- Holocene (7.8-4.7 ka cal BP). Faunal remains suggest changes in paleoecological conditions that are in agreement with patterns documented in regional speleothembased reconstructions. The lithic assemblage at the base of the sequence is clearly MSA, with Levallois
production, unifacial and bifacial points, relatively large debitage and use of local raw materials, associated
with a microlithic component. The overlaying LSA assemblage contains diagnostic artifacts (backed microliths and bladelet production), with ubiquitous use of obsidian and MSA elements that appear in the Holocene. In the absence of indications for post-depositional mixture, the apparent cultural continuity of MSA elements from the Upper Pleistocene into the Middle Holocene at Goda Buticha may represent yet another variation of the elusive MSA/LSA transition. Goda Buticha is a key site for reevaluating the dynamics and tempo of this transition in eastern Africa.
domestic animals, offers an unprecedented opportunity for exploring the later prehistory of the region. In 2007, 2008 our survey documented twenty-one cave sites and shelters with evidence of cultural deposits, including Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) stone artifacts, faunal remains, and rock art. Active and fossil speleothems, important for paleoclimatic reconstructions and chronology,
were found from two other caves in eastern and western Harerghe. Test excavations were conducted at three sites, with abundant archaeological material documented from stratified deposits at two of these sites e Gilbo Tate and Goda Buticha. The latter is a subject of another paper in this volume. Rock art was recorded at eighteen sites, three of which (in western Harerghe) had not previously been documented. At many of the sites, much of the art is faded and in a vulnerable state, and continued efforts to document
and conserve this art are urgently needed.