Knocking on Acheulean’s door. DK revisited (Bed I, Olduvai, Tanzania)

Abstract

The Douglas Korongo (DK) holds the earliest archaeological evidence documented in Olduvai Gorge to date. This ~1.9 Mya site, excavated by M. Leakey during the early 1960s, has become an iconic site within studies on the origins of human behaviour. The objective of the present paper is to test the hypothetical presence of derived techno-typological traits in this later Oldowan assemblage. We have undertaken an exhaustive technological and statistical analysis and the results confirm the presence of the following derived traits: flaked cores with platform preparation; discrete technological processes geared to producing tools with different size, shape and mass; a high frequency and diversity of retouched flakes; the production and shaping of large blanks (ca. 10 cm); and the emergence of morpho-types. We conclude that the DK knappers displayed the necessary technological know-how from which the Acheulean could emerge and, therefore, the transition from the Oldowan to the Acheulean was more gradual and complex than previously thought.