Association between Oldowan, Acheulean assemblages and early Homo erectus / Homo ergaster

The association between Homo erectus / Homo ergaster specimens and Oldowan and Acheulean artefacts can be observed in two sites in Ethiopia, Dana Aoule North (DAN 5) and Busidima North (BSN 12), in the Afar region (HC1) dated between 1.6 and 1.26 Ma respectively.

In Ethiopia, DAN5 and BSN 12 sites at Gona in the Afar region have yielded significant hominin fossils in association with both Oldowan and Acheulean assemblages, as well as cut-marked bones (Semaw et al. 2020). The age of the DAN 5 hominin and lithic assemblage is estimated between 1.6 and 1.5 Ma. The well-preserved hominin skull (occipital and left maxilla), catalogued as DAN5/P1 (HC1) was found in situ, with one Oldowan core and six manuports. Other cranial parts, along with freshly exposed Mode 1 and Mode 2 artefacts, were found on the surface of the DAN5 hominin locality. Similar collections were also found in the same stratigraphic area, approximately 140 metres towards the south-southwest (DAN5-South) and about 50 metres towards the west-northwest (DAN5-West). Based on morphology, shape and size analysis, this skull is assigned to Homo erectus (Semaw et al. 2020; Baab et al. 2022; Bruner et al. 2023), and presents some similarities with the Homo erectus crania found at Dmanisi (1.77 Ma in Georgia), KNM-ER 42700 (1.6-1.5 Ma in Kenya) and KNM-OL 45500 (0.95 Ma in Kenya), and significant differences with Asian Homo erectus. At site BSN12, nearly six kilometers southwest of DAN5, another hominin fossil (right orbital margin and frontal squama) catalogued as BSN12/P1 (HC1), was found closely associated with both Oldowan and Acheulean assemblages (Semaw et al. 2020) dated to 1.262 +/- 0.034 Ma. In terms of its anatomy and size, this robust hominin shares characteristics with Homo erectus from Indonesia and Eastern Asia, as well as others from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia (OH 9 and BOU-VP-2/66) and Buia, Eritrea (UA-31) (Semaw et al. 2020; Baab et al. 2022). According to Semaw et al. (2020) Acheulean toolmakers produced picks and handaxes alongside Mode 1 stone tools (i.e., Oldowan), whenever they needed sharp cutting flakes.