Geochronological and Paleoecological Context of the late Acheulean at Mieso, Ethiopia

• Applicant: Faysal Bibi, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431080479

The site of Mieso, Ethiopia, records the persistence of a classic Acheulean lithic assemblage that may be as young as ~212 ka. The geochronology at Mieso is, however uncertain and the fauna unearthed from excavations in the area has never been described. Given the importance of documenting the technological and paleoecological context of transitions in human evolution, and the paucity of information on the mid to late Pleistocene evolution of African faunas, we here request support to 1) revisit the Mieso site to collect samples and conduct new geochronological analyses using OSL and ESR methods, and 2) to study and analyze the Mieso fauna and its paleoecological context.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Ignacio de la Torre, Ph.D.