Autochthony and orientation patterns in Olduvai Bed I: a re-examination of the status of post-depositional biasing of archaeological assemblages from FLK North (FLKN)

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science 2012-07, Vol.39 (7), p.2116-2127
• Main Authors: Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Bunn, H.T., Pickering, T.R., Mabulla, A.Z.P., Musiba, C.M., Baquedano, E., Ashley, G.M., Diez-Martin, F., Santonja, M., Uribelarrea, D., Barba, R., Yravedra, J., Barboni, D., Arriaza, C., Gidna, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Africa; Archaeology and Prehistory; Autochthony; Excavation and methods; Field method; FLK North; FLK Zinj; Humanities and Social Sciences; Isotropy; Methodology and general studies; Olduvai Gorge; Orientation; Palaeolithic and epipalaeolithic; Prehistory and protohistory; Site formation history; Southern and East Africa; Taphonomy; Topography, excavation and recording
• ISSN: 0305-4403; 1095-9238
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2012.02.027

Recent excavations at FLK North (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) have produced new information on the orientation of archaeological materials at various levels of the site. This information includes the uniform distribution of material azimuths, which contrasts with previous inferences of highly patterned orientations of materials in the Bed I archaeological sites. Those previous inferences of patterned material orientations are based on Mary Leakey's 50-year-old drawings of artifact and fossil bone distribution, but are not verified by our precise measurements of archaeological objects made in situ. Nor do those previous results agree with the general lack of geological, geomorphological, and/or taphonomic data that would indicate significant post-depositional movement of archaeological materials in the sites. We argue here that Leakey's drawings are incomplete (only portions of each assemblage were drawn) and inaccurate in their representation of the original locations, shapes and orientations of most archaeological specimens. This argument is supported by several important mismatches in object representations between a photograph taken of a small portion of the FLK 22 Zinjanthropus site floor before the removal of the archaeological items, and the sketch of the same area drawn by Leakey. Thus, we conclude that primary orientation data of excavations (i.e., direct measurements taken from items) generated prior to object removal are the only valid indicators of the relative isotropy or anisotropy of these important paleoanthropological assemblages. [Display omitted] ► Orientation patterns at FLK North (Olduvai Gorge, Bed I) assemblages are isotropic. ► This contrasts with reported anisotropy reported from Leakey's drawings. ► It is shown that the Bed I sites are taphonomically authochthonous.