Buya or Buia is an
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...
in the
Danakil Depression
The Danakil Depression is a large valley of approximately , across the north of the Afar Region of Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is about below sea level and is bordered to the west by the Ethiopian Plateau and to the east by the Danakil Alps, bey ...
of
Eritrea
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...
.
It is known for the discovery of Madam Buya, a one
million-year-old fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
of a ''
Homo erectus
''Homo erectus'' ( ) is an extinction, extinct species of Homo, archaic human from the Pleistocene, spanning nearly 2 million years. It is the first human species to evolve a humanlike body plan and human gait, gait, to early expansions of h ...
'' skull. Two other expeditions in 2011 and 2012 also unearthed ancient hominid fossils at the site. Archaeologists have uncovered large quantities of animal fossils and
lithic tools in the area.
Archaeology
Surveys and excavations of the region have led to the identification of hundreds of fossils and artifacts.
Much of the artifacts found in the area are
acheulean
Acheulean (; also Acheulian and Mode II), from the French after the type site of Saint-Acheul, is an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture characterized by the distinctive oval and pear-shaped "hand axes" associated with ''Homo ...
or
oldowan
The Oldowan (or Mode I) was a widespread stone tool archaeological industry during the early Lower Paleolithic spanning the late Pliocene and the first half of the Early Pleistocene. These early tools were simple, usually made by chipping one ...
.

Following a 1994 prospection of the region, surveys were carried out in 1995.
These surveys were conducted by the Asmara Department of Mines, the Department of
Earth Sciences
Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...
, the Eritrean Ministry of Energy and Mines, and the
University of Florence
The University of Florence ( Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Firenze'') (in acronym UNIFI) is an Italian public research university located in Florence, Italy. It comprises 12 schools and has around 50,000 students enrolled.
History
The f ...
. Buya was excavated from 1995 to 1997 by a team of Eritrean and Italian
paleontologists
Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
from the
National Museum of Eritrea, and the
University of Florence
The University of Florence ( Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Firenze'') (in acronym UNIFI) is an Italian public research university located in Florence, Italy. It comprises 12 schools and has around 50,000 students enrolled.
History
The f ...
.
The material they uncovered was stored in the Asmara Department of Mines. Archaeological work was temporarily halted from 1998 to 1999 by the
Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict. Research began again in 2000. They established a laboratory in 2001 within the National Museum of Eritrea for the safekeeping of the fossils.
One of the paleontologists, Lorenzo Rook, unearthed fragments of the ''
Homo erectus
''Homo erectus'' ( ) is an extinction, extinct species of Homo, archaic human from the Pleistocene, spanning nearly 2 million years. It is the first human species to evolve a humanlike body plan and human gait, gait, to early expansions of h ...
'' fossil Madam Buya.
The fossil was found inside of ancient lake
sediment
Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
s located within the
Danakil Depression
The Danakil Depression is a large valley of approximately , across the north of the Afar Region of Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is about below sea level and is bordered to the west by the Ethiopian Plateau and to the east by the Danakil Alps, bey ...
.
This skeleton consisted of a nearly complete
cranium
The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate.
In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...
,
two fragments of a
pelvis
The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...
, and two
incisor
Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...
s. It lacks a
mandible
In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla).
The jawbone i ...
and has no remaining
dental crowns. Most of the
root canal
A root canal is the naturally occurring anatomic space within the root of a tooth. It consists of the pulp chamber (within the coronal part of the tooth), the main canal(s), and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root c ...
s were missing, although a few were preserved in the
maxilla
In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...
.
[Macchiarelli, Roberto & Bondioli, Luca & CHECH, MARIO & Coppa, Alfredo & Fiore, Ivana & RUSSOM, REZENE & VECCHI, FRANCESCO & LIBSEKAL, YOSIEF & Rook, Lorenzo. (2004]
The Late Early Pleistocene human remains from Buia, Danakil Depression, Eritrea
Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 110. 133-144. 10.13130/2039-4942/5768. The root canals show
occlusal wear,
dentin
Dentin ( ) (American English) or dentine ( or ) (British English) () is a calcified tissue (biology), tissue of the body and, along with tooth enamel, enamel, cementum, and pulp (tooth), pulp, is one of the four major components of teeth. It i ...
e accumulation, and loss of
enamel.
The cranium has a long and narrow braincase, round parietooccipital area, bulging
occipital lobe
The occipital lobe is one of the four Lobes of the brain, major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The name derives from its position at the back of the head, from the Latin , 'behind', and , 'head'.
The occipital lobe is the ...
s, a
constricted postorbital area, and a
volume
Volume is a measure of regions in three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch) ...
of 995
cubic centimeters. It has a more pronounced
bossing, large and deeper
orbits
In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an physical body, object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an satellite, artificia ...
, larger
zygomatic bone
In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from ), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone, situated at the upper and lateral part of the face and forming part of the lateral wall and floor of the orbit, of the temporal fos ...
s with maxilla, a slightly more curved frontal profile, and a thinner
endocranium
The endocranium in comparative anatomy is a part of the skull base in vertebrates and it represents the basal, inner part of the cranium. The term is also applied to the outer layer of the dura mater in human anatomy.
Structure
Structurally, t ...
than other archaic human fossils. According to research published in 2022, the maxilla of this fossil are larger than any other known Early Pliocene hominin fossil.
Two fossils of
permanent teeth
Permanent teeth or adult teeth are the second set of teeth formed in diphyodont mammals. In humans and old world simians, there are thirty-two permanent teeth, consisting of six maxillary and six mandibular molars, four maxillary and four mandib ...
with dental crowns and roots, as well as a
hip bone
The hip bone (os coxae, innominate bone, pelvic bone or coxal bone) is a large flat bone, constricted in the center and expanded above and below. In some vertebrates (including humans before puberty) it is composed of three parts: the Ilium (bone) ...
fragment, were uncovered in 1995. In 2003 archaeologists uncovered a
pubic symphysis
The pubic symphysis (: symphyses) is a secondary cartilaginous joint between the left and right superior rami of the pubis of the hip bones. It is in front of and below the urinary bladder. In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis attache ...
fragment at the site.
These fossils are all thought to belong to the same individual.
Analysis of the pubic symphysis suggests that the skeleton may have belonged to an individual between the ages of 25 and 30.
The fossil bears characteristics of both ''Homo erectus'' skeletons and ''
Homo sapiens
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' skeletons. It has a large
brow ridge
The brow ridge, or supraorbital ridge known as superciliary arch in medicine, is a bony ridge located above the eye sockets of all primates and some other animals. In humans, the eyebrows are located on their lower margin.
Structure
The brow ri ...
,
oval
An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas of mathematics (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.), it is given a more precise definition, which may inc ...
neurocranium
In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, brain-pan, or brainbox, is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the cal ...
, and wide
cheekbones. These traits are all characteristics of a ''Homo erectus'' fossil. It also has a cranium which is widest high on the
vault, which is a human trait.
The fossil contains features of both Early Pleistocene human fossils and Middle Pleistocene fossils, providing archaeologists with evidence of the transition between these two periods. For these reasons, the discovery is considered an important source of information about the
development of modern humans.
The fossils found at the site were dated to be one
million-years-old.
Fission-track dating of the fossils dated them to be 0.75±0.16 million years old. Further research led to an estimated age of 1.3±0.3 million years old.
Another team of Italian, French, and Eritrean paleontologists conducted an excavation in 2011. They found another ''Homo erectus'' fossil at the site. Massimo Delfino, one of the paleontologists, found the artifact while conducting a routine survey of the area.
Another excavator, Husein Omar, discovered a set of 650,000 to 1.4 million-year-old
molars
The molars or molar teeth are large, flat tooth, teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammal, mammals. They are used primarily to comminution, grind food during mastication, chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, '' ...
. According to Medin, this discovery provided a vital source of information about human development during this time period and an opportunity for further research in Eritrea. In 2012 archaeologists working for the
Sapienza University of Rome
The Sapienza University of Rome (), formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", abbreviated simply as Sapienza ('Wisdom'), is a Public university, public research university located in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1303 and is ...
made another expedition. This project was coordinated with the
University of Padua
The University of Padua (, UNIPD) is an Italian public research university in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from the University of Bologna, who previously settled in Vicenza; thus, it is the second-oldest ...
,
National Museum of Natural History in Paris, and the
University of Turin
The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...
.
They found another million-year-old fossil and some lithic objects. Because of this discovery, the site was nicknamed the "Shrine of the Amygdales" for its large quantity of important archaeological sites. In addition, six traces of 800,000-year-old human footprints have been found in the region.
Archaeologists have uncovered 213
lithic objects at Buya. According to a 2004 study of the site, they found 133
flakes
Flake or Flakes may refer to:
People
* Christian "Flake" Lorenz, German musician and member of the band Rammstein
* Gisa Flake (born 1985), German actress and singer
* Jake Flake, American politician
* Jeff Flake (born 1962), American polit ...
, 26
choppers, 13
hand-axes, 9
hammerstone
In archaeology, a hammerstone is a hard cobble
used to strike off lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. The hammerstone is a rather universal stone tool which appeared early in most regions of the wo ...
s, 6
cores, 2
hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...
s, and 1
trihedral pick. These objects were found across three areas. Area one is located along a
gully
A gully is a landform
A landform is a land feature on the solid surface of the Earth or other planetary body. They may be natural or may be anthropogenic (caused or influenced by human activity). Landforms together make up a given ter ...
in the northern part of the region. Area two is located on elevated ground in the northeastern part of the region. Area three is located along the western borders of Buya. 98 flakes, 15 choppers, 8 hammerstones, 4 cores, one hand-axe, one pitted pebble, and one trihedral pick were all found in area one. 78 of these objects contained unworn edges, with only 37 having any wear. The axes and choppers were made from pebbles. The hammerstones were made of
quartz arentine. Some of the axes and the pick were made from
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
. The flakes were primarily made from
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
, although
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
, basalt, and
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...
were also utilized. 98 total artifacts were recovered from area two. These materials consist of 22 flakes, 10 hand-axes, 9 choppers, and a basalt pebble used as a hammer. Most of the choppers from this area were unworn, with only having
patina
Patina ( or ) is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of copper, brass, bronze, and similar metals and metal alloys ( tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes), or certain stones and wooden furniture (sheen prod ...
. The axes are also mostly unworn and are primarily made from
schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
and basalt. Although marble was used for one of them. The one core is made from marble, and the one hammer is made from an elongated oval-shaped basalt
pebble
A pebble is a clastic rocks, clast of rock (geology), rock with a grain size, particle size of based on the Particle size (grain size), Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than Granule (geology), gra ...
. Only 12 artifacts were found in area three. These consist of 8 flakes, 2 transverse choppers, 1 hand-axe, and a core. The choppers were made from elongated marble pebbles, the hand-axe from a basalt flake, and the core was made from a thick basalt pebble. 6 of the flakes were made from quartz and 2 were made from basalt. There were a small number of objects identified in between these areas. These include 3 basalt flakes, 1 quartz flake, 1 quartz arenite flake, 1
cordiform axe, and a quartz arenite hammerstone.
Paleoecology
Numerous remains of
flora
Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...
and
fauna
Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...
have been found at the site. These fossils have been revealed due to
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...
,
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...
changes, and
volcanic activity
Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a he ...
.
The type of animals found at this site are typical for East African
Early Pleistocene
The Early Pleistocene is an unofficial epoch (geology), sub-epoch in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, representing the earliest division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently esti ...
faunas. Remains of extinct species from this time period found at the site include the ''
Theropithecus oswaldi'', ''
Pelorovis oldowayensis'', ''
Giraffa jumae,'' ''
Hexaprotodon
''Hexaprotodon'' is an extinct genus of hippopotamid known from Asia and possibly Africa and Europe. The name ''Hexaprotodon'' means "six front teeth" as some of the fossil forms have three pairs of incisors. '', ''
Hippopotamus gorgops
''Hippopotamus gorgops'' is an extinct species of the genus ''Hippopotamus'' known from remains found in Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, and the Levant. One of the largest hippopotamus species, it first appeared during the Early Pleistocene, a ...
,'' ''
Palaeoloxodon recki
''Palaeoloxodon recki'', often known by the synonym ''Elephas recki,'' is an extinct species of elephant native to Africa and West Asia from the Pliocene or Early Pleistocene to the Middle Pleistocene. During most of its existence, the species ( ...
'', ''
Palaeoloxodon recki ileretensis,'' ''
Kolpochoerus olduvaiensis'', ''
Kolpochoerus majus,''
''Metridiochoerus'' ''modestus'', and potentially the ''
Giraffa pygmaea''. One potential new species of
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
, ''
Bos buiaensis,'' may have been identified at the site. Bovid fossils found at Buya contain characteristics of
aurochs
The aurochs (''Bos primigenius''; or ; pl.: aurochs or aurochsen) is an extinct species of Bovini, bovine, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. With a shoulder height of up to in bulls and in cows, it was one of t ...
''and'' ''
pelorovis''. This indicates that humans may have had a relationship with cattle since the Late Pliocene.
Other remnants of extant animals such as the
White rhinoceros
The white rhinoceros, also known as the white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum''), is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the most Sociality, social of all rhino species, characterized by its wide mouth adapted f ...
,
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...
,
Grévy's zebra
Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi)'', also known commonly as the imperial zebra, is the largest living species of wild equid and the most threatened of the three species of zebras, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Name ...
,
Sitatunga
The sitatunga (''Tragelaphus spekii'') or marshbuck is a swamp-dwelling medium-sized antelope found throughout central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, parts of South Sudan, Southern ...
,
waterbuck
The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus ''Kobus (antelope), Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first Scientific description, described by Irish naturalist Will ...
'',''
Cane rat
The genus ''Thryonomys'', also known as the cane rats or grasscutters, is a genus of rodent found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, the only extant members of the family '' Thryonomyidae''. They are eaten in some African countries and are a pest sp ...
,
Kori bustard
The kori bustard (''Ardeotis kori'') is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family (biology), family, which all belong to the order Otidiformes and are restricted in distribution to the Old World. It is one of ...
,
Old World monkey
Old World monkeys are primates in the family Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons (genus '' Papio''), red colobus (genus '' Piliocolob ...
,
Spotted hyena
The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...
, and an unspecified ''
Gazella
A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...
'' species have been identified.
Most of the
mammal
A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
s found at Buya are water-dependent species that inhabit grassland or savanna environments. For example, taxa found at Buya such as the
hippopotamus
The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...
, waterbuck, sitatunga,
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...
,
African rock python,
Nile monitor lizard, and
pelomedusidae
:''Alternatively, "Pelomedusidae" may refer to the Pelomedusoidea. See below for details.''
Pelomedusidae is a family of freshwater turtles endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, São Tomé, and the Seychelles (although this popul ...
are all creatures that rely on water and live in
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...
or
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
environments. This indicates that the region consisted of
moist grassland or savanna habitats situated near water.
Stratigraphic
Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks.
Stratigraphy has three related subfields: lithost ...
evidence also suggests the reach once was a grassland or savanna located near water. Rare examples of pre-Middle Pleistocene
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the eastern, southern, and ce ...
s have been found in Buya. Very few examples of this species dating back to before the Middle Pleistocene have been identified in Africa. Examples of bird species such as ''
anhinga
The anhinga (; ''Anhinga anhinga''), sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word ''anhinga'' comes from ''a'ñinga'' in the Brazilian Tupi language and means ...
'' or ''
burhinus
''Burhinus'' is a genus of birds in the family Burhinidae. This family also contains the genus ''Esacus''.del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (1996) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'', ''vol 3.'' Lynx, Barcelona The genus name ''Burhinus'' com ...
'' were found in the area. These imply that the region had open water with
reed bed
A reedbed or reed bed is a natural habitat found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and
estuaries. Reedbeds are part of a succession from young reeds colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground. As ...
s near dry areas. Fossils of ''
clarias
''Clarias'' is a genus of catfishes (order (biology), order Catfish, Siluriformes) of the family (biology), family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek language, Greek ''chlaros'', which means lively, and is a ...
'', a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of fish, were also identified.
Hundreds of
trace fossil
A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil (; ), is a fossil record of biological activity by lifeforms, but not the preserved remains of the organism itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, which are the fossilized remains of part ...
s were identified in Buya. These fossils can be divided into two categories. One is
rosette
Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to:
Flower shaped designs
* Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation
* Rosette (design), a small flower design
*hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms:
** R ...
-shaped trace fossils, the other is ring-shaped fossils. These fossils were likely made by
oolitic sand filling in imprints left by the original object. It is unclear what organisms could have made it. It can be inferred that
soft-bodied organism
Soft-bodied organisms are organisms that lack rigid physical skeletons or frame, roughly corresponds to the group Vermes as proposed by Carl von Linné. The term typically refers to non- panarthropod invertebrates from the kingdom Animalia, alth ...
s with
radial symmetry
Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example, the face of a human being has a plane of symme ...
were responsible for the original imprints. They likely used a
pedal disc
The pedal disc (also known as a basal plate) is the surface opposite to the mouth of the sea anemone. It serves to attach the anemone to the substrate
Substrate may refer to:
Physical layers
*Substrate (biology), the natural environment in whic ...
to create the imprint.
Sea anemone
Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemone ...
s were considered as a potential origin of the fossils, however, sea anemone appear in the ocean, whilst these fossils occurred on land. Other species such as
scyphoza have been considered, however, the patterns in the ichnofossils are unlike other known animals. It is possible that two new
ichnotaxa
An ichnotaxon (plural ichnotaxa) is "a taxon based on the fossilized work of an organism", i.e. the non-human equivalent of an artifact. ''Ichnotaxon'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''íchnos'') meaning "track" and English , itself derived from ...
were responsible for the imprints.
Abiogenic origins have also been considered, although, the complexity of the patterns strongly suggest that they have
biogenic
A biogenic substance is a product made by or of life forms. While the term originally was specific to metabolite compounds that had toxic effects on other organisms, it has developed to encompass any constituents, secretions, and metabolites of p ...
origins.
Cutmarks in fossilized bones and flesh indicate that a Pleistocene human population may have practiced the
butcher
A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale ...
ing of animal carcasses. One bovid fossil bears deep cuts on the neck, near the
jugular vein
The jugular veins () are veins that take blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava. The internal jugular vein descends next to the internal carotid artery and continues posteriorly to the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Struc ...
. These cuts were likely made by a lithic tool and intended to
decapitate the animal. Another waterbuck fossil shows oblique, short, and straight scratch marks likely also made by a lithic tool, to
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...
the animal. Another mammalian hip pelvis fossil and a crocodile
femur
The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg.
The Femo ...
fossil also contain scratch marks indicating that it was skinned. V-shaped cutmarks probably made by a lithic tool were found on the
femur
The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg.
The Femo ...
of a hippopotamus fossil. They were likely an attempt to detach the leg from the body. Three short and arched cutmarks were identified on the fossil of a hippopotamus
tibia
The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...
. They appear to have been made by stone tools and to have been intended to separate the leg from the
joint
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
s. Bitemarks found on other fossils and
coprolite
A coprolite (also known as a coprolith) is fossilized feces. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour (in this case, diet) rather than morphology. The name ...
s found at the site indicate the presence of
carnivore
A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant
Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they ar ...
s.
Geology and geography
The Buya basin is located in the northwestern part of the
Afar Triangle
The Afar Triangle (also called the Afar Depression) is a geological depression caused by the Afar triple junction, which is part of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. The region has disclosed fossil specimens of the very earliest hominins; th ...
. This area contains a village populated by the
Saho people
The Saho are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group who are one of the 9 official ethnic groups Eritrea. They speak Saho as a mother tongue.
History
The Saho were originally a northern extension of the Afar people, Afar who moved along the G ...
and the
Afar people
The Afar (), also known as the Danakil, Adali and Odali, are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, as well as the entire southern co ...
. This town has an economy sustained by
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
,
goat-herding, and
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...
.
In 2000 a camp for
people displaced by the
Eritrean–Ethiopian War
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War, also known as the Badme War, was a major armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea that took place from May 6, 1998 to June 18, 2000.
After 1993 Eritrean independence referendum, Eritrea gained independence from E ...
. The archaeological site is located within the Dandiero basin, which is the northern part of the Danakil depression. It is named after the Buya village which is located 100 kilometers
south-southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each ...
of
Massawa
Massawa or Mitsiwa ( ) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea Region, Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zula beside the Dahlak Archipelago. It has been a historically important port for ...
. The excavated site was 500 meters thick and is southeast of Buya by the
Alad wells and the
Alid volcano.
It is covered in grey and white
silt
Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...
s and contains river areas with small numbers of
marl
Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, Clay minerals, clays, and silt. When Lithification, hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
M ...
s. The area is built on a
basement
A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...
of
Neoproterozoic
The Neoproterozoic Era is the last of the three geologic eras of the Proterozoic geologic eon, eon, spanning from 1 billion to 538.8 million years ago, and is the last era of the Precambrian "supereon". It is preceded by the Mesoproterozoic era an ...
rock. This rock basement is
metamorphic
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...
and consists of
low-grade dolomitic
Dolomite () is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite (see Dolomite (rock)). An alternative name sometimes ...
rock,
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
,
calcareous
Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime (mineral), lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of Science, scientific disciplines.
In zoology
''Calcare ...
meta-sediments,
amphibolite
Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose ...
gneiss
Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
,
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
gneiss, and high-grade
kyanite
Kyanite is a typically blue aluminosilicate mineral, found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and sedimentary rock. It is the high pressure Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of andalusite and sillimanite, and the presence of kyani ...
schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
that came into contact with
graphitic slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
.
References
{{reflist
External links
Embassy Media - Eritrea: Discovery of Ancient Human Remains in BUYA-UA31
Archaeological sites in Eritrea
Prehistoric archaeological sites
Prehistoric Eritrea
Homo erectus fossils
Homo erectus sites