Amanuel Beyin

Upper Pleistocene Human Dispersals out of Africa: A Review of the Current State of the Debate

Although there is a general consensus on African origin of early modern humans, there is disagreement about how and when they dispersed to Eurasia. This paper reviews genetic and Middle Stone Age/Middle Paleolithic archaeological literature from northeast Africa, Arabia, and the Levant to assess the timing and geographic backgrounds of Upper Pleistocene human colonization of Eurasia. At the center of the discussion lies the question of whether eastern Africa alone was the source of Upper Pleistocene human dispersals into Eurasia or were there other loci of human expansions outside of Africa? The reviewed literature hints at two modes of early modern human colonization of Eurasia in the Upper Pleistocene: (i) from multiple Homo sapiens source populations that had entered Arabia, South Asia, and the Levant prior to and soon after the onset of the Last Interglacial (MIS-5), (ii) from a rapid dispersal out of East Africa via the Southern Route (across the Red Sea basin), dating to ~74–60 kya.

Reconnaissance of Prehistoric Sites on the Red Sea Coast of Eritrea, NE Africa

Abstract A surface reconnaissance was conducted for prehistoric sites along the Gulf of Zula and the Buri Peninsula, on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. The sites, found in a wide range of geomorphological Settings, belong mainly to Middle Stone Age, Late Stone Age and Neolithic cultural phases. A few Acheulian bifaces were also documented from eroding surfaces. The different contexts suggest intermittent occupation of the area during Late Pleistocene and Holocene times. Middle Stone Age and Late Stone Age sites in close proximity to the present coastline support a model of coastal adaptation by early humans during the Late Pleistocene. Such coastally-adapted humans are thought to have been source populations for human dispersal into Eurasia across the Bab al-Mandab Strait (southern Red Sea).

Late Stone Age Shell Middens on the Red Sea Coast of Eritrea

ABSTRACT A pioneer survey of the Red Sea Coast of Eritrea revealed three shell middens dated to the mid-Holocene that reflect the exploitation of different coastal environments. Misse East and Gelalo Northwest were both dated to the eighth millennium BP. The former is dominated by Atactodea striata, a small bivalve that burrows in intertidal sands, the latter by Terebralia palustris, a large gastropod living in mangrove swamps. Gelalo Northwest also included a relatively large number of shell beads. Asfet, dated to the sixth millennium BP, was also dominated by Terebralia palustris. This coastal settlement is probably the result of adverse climatic conditions that prevailed in the hinterland during that period. Change in the regime of monsoons in the Sahara and northeast Africa may have caused human populations to settle in better-watered areas, the Red Sea Coast among them, and to adapt to the new conditions by exploiting the marine environment.

Early to Middle Holocene human adaptations on the Buri Peninsula and Gulf of Zula, coastal lowlands of Eritrea

Recent excavations at three sites on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea revealed early-middle Holocene human occupations. Marine shells were found in close association with lithic artefacts at the sites, suggesting a coastal economy. Two broad occupation phases have been recognised: i) eighth millennium BP settlements at Gelalo NW and Misse East; and ii) a sixth millennium BP occupation at Asfet Unit F. Environmental changes and/or autocatalytic niche broadening mechanisms may have stimulated prehistoric human adaptations on the Eritrean coast. Drawing upon the archaeological evidence from the three excavated sites, this paper discusses the chronological and cultural contexts of early-middle Holocene human adaptations on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea.

New discovery of Acheulean occupation in the Red Sea coastal region of the Sudan

The western coastal zone of the Red Sea basin occupies a pivotal place in current discussions regarding hominin dispersal routes out of Africa. Its long coastal niche, which once extended into the Danakil Depression, as well as its proximity to prominent paleoanthropological sites in the Main Ethiopian and Afar rift basins, make the region a plausible destination for hominins dispersing from the interior landscapes of eastern Africa. Unfortunately, compared to other parts of East Africa, the region has not seen adequate paleoanthropological research, hindering detailed assessment of its contribution to hominin adaptations. A recent archeological reconnaissance in the Red Sea coastal region of the Republic of Sudan documented two characteristic Acheulean sites, named Hayna 01 and 02, as well as numerous isolated scatters of stone artifacts representing diverse technotypological features. The launching of this pioneering project was aimed at finding Paleolithic (Stone Age) sites that can inform us about Pleistocene hominin adaptations in the western peripheries of the Red Sea. The recovered evidence will be subsequently used to assess the role of the region in early hominin survival and dispersal. Of the two Acheulean-bearing sites documented by the survey, Hayna 01 (HY01) is discussed here. It has a surface lithic assemblage characterized by a classic bifacial technology referable to the Acheulean Technocomplex.