Archeologia e impronte fossili nel sito acheuleano di Gombore II (0,85 Ma), Melka Kunture, Etiopia

Melka Kunture is a cluster of prehistoric sites located on the shoulder of the Main Ethiopian Rift, at 2000 m asl. Tens of sites have been unearthed since the Sixties of last century, revealing a rich and persistent record, anchored to a solid absolute dating system, starting at ca. 1.8 Ma. Here we report the discovery and preliminary description of fossil footprints and trampled surfaces in the area of Gombore II, a well-known Middle Acheulean site dated at ca. 0.85 Ma. Various species of mammals produced the footprints, that went unnoticed at the time of previous research. They notably include a possible single Homo track. Footprints are considered a snapshot in time of in situ frequentation, hence they help understanding the behaviour, dynamics and association of animals and hominins. The ichnological data also allow comparisons with the information produced by the archaeological and palaeontological record.