Reconstructing the Paleoenvironment at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, during the Technological Evolution of the Oldowan to Acheulean: A Geochemical and Geoarchaeological Study

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This research focuses on deciphering the paleoenvironments associated with lower Bed II (1.8 - 1.6 Ma) of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania in Eastern Africa. This dynamic time period includes multiple tectonic and volcanic events, the Oldowan to Acheulean technological transition, and the arrival of Homo erectus on the landscape. While research has been conducted using faunal analysis to infer a regional drying of the landscape, less is known about the local environments during this time period. We use isotopic and biomarker data from both core and outcrop samples to reconstruct the paleoenvironments of lower Bed II. The rationale for the research facilitates comparison of sediment core and local outcrop samples, and their preservation and presence of biomarkers and isotopes. We hypothesize local variations in vegetation and precipitation to give context to archaeological sites, landscape positions, and technological evolution. These findings will extend the detailed record of paleoenvironmental changes of Olduvai Gorge associated with biomarker and isotopic data by 200 kyr and provide further context for the Oldowan to Acheulean transition.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53498