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Plio–Pleistocene environments at Gadeb prehistoric site, Ethiopia

Abstract

Widespread artefact-bearing gravels overlie Pliocene diatomites in the plain of Gadeb (7°02′–7°13′N, 39° 15′–39°28′E) at 2,300 m in east-central Ethiopia. The diatomites are from 2.7 to 2.35 Myr old, and the bulk of the Developed Oldowan and Acheulian tools are between 1.5 and (?) 0.7 Myr old. Drying out of the Pliocene lake, deposition of the gravels, and erosion of the Webi Shebele gorge reflect the interplay of volcano-tectonic and climatic events, as does the biostratigraphy of the Pliocene diatomites.

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Williams, M., Williams, F., Gasse, F. et al. Plio–Pleistocene environments at Gadeb prehistoric site, Ethiopia. Nature 282, 29–33 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282029a0

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