History & Heritage
12.28.2018
Archaeology: Is North Africa Another Cradle of Humankind?
Once again, archaeological excavations shake up all the certainties acquired by men.
Science journal recently published the results of an archaeological discovery made at the site of Ain Boucherit in northeastern Algeria: the first human beings actually arrived in North Africa 600,000 years earlier than previously thought.
The major role of North Africa in the evolution of our species
This interesting discovery was made possible thanks to the Ain Hanech project, which has been exploring the Algerian grounds since 1982.
The project discovered a collection of ancient stone tools – used for mincing and cutting animal carcasses – aged 2.4 million years. The oldest tools known so far in the region so far are believed to date back 1.8 million years. Therefore, this suggests that the use of tools first developed in North Africa, making the region a key area in the development of the human species.
“This highlights North Africa, and the Sahara in particular, as a major region of importance in the evolutionary processes leading to our own species” said Eleanor Scerri, an archaeologist at Oxford University.
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