Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition: Evolution and Diversity of African Hominin Populations (Trans-Evol)
Ce site est en anglais, pour plus d'informations sur la mission archéologique Trans-Evol en français, c'est ici.
The Trans-Evol project carries out archaeological excavations in West Turkana (Kenya) in order to document the morphological and cultural diversity of hominin fossil populations during the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition (i.e. EMPT, 1250-750 ka). This period is characterised by major environmental changes along with morphological (encephalisation) and behavioural (specialisation/expansion of Acheulean, new modes of huntings) innovations within the Homo genus. Unfortunately, to date, the African fossil record only counts with three well-preserved hominin remains from this period (Daka, Buia, Olorgaseilie).
Trans-Evol’s principal aim is to deepen our understanding of this key time period of human evolution through the discovery and the study of new African archaeological sites where hominin activities can be attested.
To achieve this aim, the project relies on a large collaborative team of specialists (i.e. archaeology, archaeozoology, palaeontology, geochronology, and palaeoanthropology) from several international institutions.
The project started during the 2017 In Africa project field season with the identification of four areas of interest in South Turkana. In 2018, geological sampling was done to chronologically characterise one of those sites (Kanyimangin) where excavations started in 2019.
The archaeological research project Trans-Evol is a collaboration between the UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (A. Mounier, PI, CNRS), the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies (LCHES, M. Mirazón Lahr, University of Cambridge) and the Earth Sciences Department (F. Kyalo Manthi, National Museums of Kenya - NMK). The project is being supported logistically by the Turkana Basin Institute (i.e. TBI), the French Embassy in Nairobi and the IFRA in Nairobi. The project is funded by the CNRS/INEE, the MEAE (French Foreign Office) the Fyssen Foundation.
Trans-Evol is a collaboration between A. Mounier (CNRS, PI), F. Kyalo Manthi (NMK) and M. Mirazón Lahr (University of Cambridge).
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Localisation
Map of the South West of the Turkana Basin in Kenya showing the locations of important archaeological sites: Lothagam, Nataruk and Kanapoi along with the area where Trans-Evol operates. Trans-Evol has identified 12 Pleistocene sites in the area. Four of them: Kanyimangin, Kamilikol, Nakwakitela and Emunyen, are currently being actively studied
Sites
Kanyimangin
The area has been known to be fossiliferous since 2010. Surveys by the Trans-Evol team started in 2017. In 2022 an archaeological layer was discovered in the North of the site (see picture of the excavation in September 2023). The excavation yielded 122 lithic artefacts along with a number of faunal remains. Part of the assemblage indicate an Acheulean occupation.
Regarding the fauna present on the site, 2270 fossil fragments have been recorded, representing 238 individuals. Over thirty species are represented in the assemblage, some of which indicates that the site should date from the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition. Preliminary results for Kanyimangin have been published in the Antiquity journal.
Kamilikol
Kamilikol was identified in June 2022 when numerous Large Cutting Tools where found on the surface and an archaeological layer was identified on the slope of the hills of the site.
After two seasons, the excavation in Kamilikol has yielded over 350 lithic artefacts. An additional 196 artefacts were recorded during surveys of the area.
Kamilikol presents an unprecedented high density of Large Cutting Tools in the Turkana Basin. 70 bifaces have been recorded, five of them in the excavation.
The age of the site is till unknown, but the assemblage clearly points toward an Acheulean occupation and geological samples are being analysed to help constrain the chronology of this wonderful site.
Nakwakitela
Nakwakitela was also identified in 2022. The site is only a couple kilometres south-east from Kamilikol, yet it presents a different assemblage. Very few lithic artefacts can be found in Nakwakitela, but there are numerous faunal remains, some of which are extremely well-preserved in the fossiliferous sediments of the site.
The exact chronology of Nakwakitela is unknown, but the presence of species of pig (Kolpochoerus heseloni) along with the presence of Acheulean looking bifaces points toward a Pleistocene age for the site.
More geological work will be led in the coming years in order to better understand the stratigraphy and chronology of Nakwakitela.
Emunyen
Identified in 2023, Emunyen covers a very wide area (over 1.5 km²) and presents a very well preserved faunal assemblage. Numerous specimens are slowly eroding from the fossiliferous layer of the site.
In June 2024, no less than 6 large faunal remains, including a complete hippopotamus head, were jacketed (i.e. plastering large and fragile fossils which can not be excavated on the site due to the risk of damage, see picture of Marjolein Bosch & Justus Erus Edung) to be brought back to the camp.
Several patches of tuff have been found in Emunyen. They are now being analysed and will be used to offer a maximum age fo the site.