Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco): Recent findings and their context

Jean Paul Raynal; Fatima Zohra Sbihi-Alaoui; Abderrahim Mohib; Mosshine El Graoui; David Lefèvre; Jean Pierre Texier; Denis Geraads; Jean Jacques Hublin; Tanya Smith; Paul Tafforeau; Mehdi Zouak; Rainer Grün; Edward J. Rhodes; Stephen Eggins; Camille Daujeard; Paul Fernandes; Rosalia Gallotti; Saïda Hossini; Alain Queffelec

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011

Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco): Recent findings and their context

Jean Paul Raynal^*, Fatima Zohra Sbihi-Alaoui, Abderrahim Mohib, Mosshine El Graoui, David Lefèvre, Jean Pierre Texier, Denis Geraads, Jean Jacques Hublin, Tanya Smith, Paul Tafforeau, Mehdi Zouak, Rainer Grün, Edward J. Rhodes, Stephen Eggins, Camille Daujeard, Paul Fernandes, Rosalia Gallotti, Saïda Hossini, Alain Queffelec

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Thomas Quarry I locality was made famous in 1969 with the discovery of a human half-mandible in a cave. In 1985, further investigations revealed the presence of a Lower Acheulean assemblage in lower units of the section. From 1988 onwards, modern controlled excavations took place within the framework of the Franco-Moroccan co-operative project " Casablanca" Acheulean artefacts, a rich mammalian fauna and four hominid teeth have been excavated from the cave. The faunal set indicates an open woodland environment. Carcasses were processed by carnivores, but cut-marks are absent, which raises the question of any human role in the bone accumulations. Stone knapping was mainly oriented towards flake production and a few bifaces have been imported into the site. Laser ablation ICP-MS dating combining the ESR and U-series data for the modelling of the U-uptake has given an US/ESR age of 501⁺⁹⁴_-76 ka for a human premolar while new OSL measurements yielded an age of 420 ± 34 ka for sediments immediately above the dated tooth and 391 ± 32 ka below. Nevertheless, biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy point towards a greater antiquity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	369-382
Number of pages	14
Journal	Quaternary International
Volume	223-224
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011
Publication status	Published - Sept 2010

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Raynal, J. P., Sbihi-Alaoui, F. Z., Mohib, A., El Graoui, M., Lefèvre, D., Texier, J. P., Geraads, D., Hublin, J. J., Smith, T., Tafforeau, P., Zouak, M., Grün, R., Rhodes, E. J., Eggins, S., Daujeard, C., Fernandes, P., Gallotti, R., Hossini, S., & Queffelec, A. (2010). Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco): Recent findings and their context. Quaternary International, 223-224, 369-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011

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title = "Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco): Recent findings and their context",

abstract = "The Thomas Quarry I locality was made famous in 1969 with the discovery of a human half-mandible in a cave. In 1985, further investigations revealed the presence of a Lower Acheulean assemblage in lower units of the section. From 1988 onwards, modern controlled excavations took place within the framework of the Franco-Moroccan co-operative project {"} Casablanca{"} Acheulean artefacts, a rich mammalian fauna and four hominid teeth have been excavated from the cave. The faunal set indicates an open woodland environment. Carcasses were processed by carnivores, but cut-marks are absent, which raises the question of any human role in the bone accumulations. Stone knapping was mainly oriented towards flake production and a few bifaces have been imported into the site. Laser ablation ICP-MS dating combining the ESR and U-series data for the modelling of the U-uptake has given an US/ESR age of 501+94-76 ka for a human premolar while new OSL measurements yielded an age of 420 ± 34 ka for sediments immediately above the dated tooth and 391 ± 32 ka below. Nevertheless, biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy point towards a greater antiquity.",

author = "Raynal, {Jean Paul} and Sbihi-Alaoui, {Fatima Zohra} and Abderrahim Mohib and {El Graoui}, Mosshine and David Lef{\`e}vre and Texier, {Jean Pierre} and Denis Geraads and Hublin, {Jean Jacques} and Tanya Smith and Paul Tafforeau and Mehdi Zouak and Rainer Gr{\"u}n and Rhodes, {Edward J.} and Stephen Eggins and Camille Daujeard and Paul Fernandes and Rosalia Gallotti and Sa{\"i}da Hossini and Alain Queffelec",

year = "2010",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011",

language = "English",

volume = "223-224",

pages = "369--382",

journal = "Quaternary International",

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Raynal, JP, Sbihi-Alaoui, FZ, Mohib, A, El Graoui, M, Lefèvre, D, Texier, JP, Geraads, D, Hublin, JJ, Smith, T, Tafforeau, P, Zouak, M, Grün, R, Rhodes, EJ, Eggins, S, Daujeard, C, Fernandes, P, Gallotti, R, Hossini, S & Queffelec, A 2010, 'Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco): Recent findings and their context', Quaternary International, vol. 223-224, pp. 369-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco)

T2 - Recent findings and their context

AU - Raynal, Jean Paul

AU - Sbihi-Alaoui, Fatima Zohra

AU - Mohib, Abderrahim

AU - El Graoui, Mosshine

AU - Lefèvre, David

AU - Texier, Jean Pierre

AU - Geraads, Denis

AU - Hublin, Jean Jacques

AU - Smith, Tanya

AU - Tafforeau, Paul

AU - Zouak, Mehdi

AU - Grün, Rainer

AU - Rhodes, Edward J.

AU - Eggins, Stephen

AU - Daujeard, Camille

AU - Fernandes, Paul

AU - Gallotti, Rosalia

AU - Hossini, Saïda

AU - Queffelec, Alain

PY - 2010/9

Y1 - 2010/9

N2 - The Thomas Quarry I locality was made famous in 1969 with the discovery of a human half-mandible in a cave. In 1985, further investigations revealed the presence of a Lower Acheulean assemblage in lower units of the section. From 1988 onwards, modern controlled excavations took place within the framework of the Franco-Moroccan co-operative project " Casablanca" Acheulean artefacts, a rich mammalian fauna and four hominid teeth have been excavated from the cave. The faunal set indicates an open woodland environment. Carcasses were processed by carnivores, but cut-marks are absent, which raises the question of any human role in the bone accumulations. Stone knapping was mainly oriented towards flake production and a few bifaces have been imported into the site. Laser ablation ICP-MS dating combining the ESR and U-series data for the modelling of the U-uptake has given an US/ESR age of 501+94-76 ka for a human premolar while new OSL measurements yielded an age of 420 ± 34 ka for sediments immediately above the dated tooth and 391 ± 32 ka below. Nevertheless, biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy point towards a greater antiquity.

AB - The Thomas Quarry I locality was made famous in 1969 with the discovery of a human half-mandible in a cave. In 1985, further investigations revealed the presence of a Lower Acheulean assemblage in lower units of the section. From 1988 onwards, modern controlled excavations took place within the framework of the Franco-Moroccan co-operative project " Casablanca" Acheulean artefacts, a rich mammalian fauna and four hominid teeth have been excavated from the cave. The faunal set indicates an open woodland environment. Carcasses were processed by carnivores, but cut-marks are absent, which raises the question of any human role in the bone accumulations. Stone knapping was mainly oriented towards flake production and a few bifaces have been imported into the site. Laser ablation ICP-MS dating combining the ESR and U-series data for the modelling of the U-uptake has given an US/ESR age of 501+94-76 ka for a human premolar while new OSL measurements yielded an age of 420 ± 34 ka for sediments immediately above the dated tooth and 391 ± 32 ka below. Nevertheless, biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy point towards a greater antiquity.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956056347&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011

DO - 10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.011

M3 - Article

SN - 1040-6182

VL - 223-224

SP - 369

EP - 382

JO - Quaternary International

JF - Quaternary International

ER -

Hominid Cave at Thomas Quarry I (Casablanca, Morocco): Recent findings and their context

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