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Approximate age:100,000 years old=average of minimum (0.05 Ma) and maximum (0.15 Ma)

Date based on: Guess based on dated sites that seem to have occurred in the same period of lake formation in the area. H. Gilbert reduced the upper (younger) age by another 25,000 years because the estimate was very crude, and possibly an overestimate. See map of sites with similar ages

Dating reference: Wrinn, P. J., & Rink, W. J. (2003). ESR dating of tooth enamel from Aterian levels at Mugharet el ëAliya (Tangier, Morocco). Journal of Archaeological Science, 30(1), 123-133. , Clark, J. D. (1993). The Aterian of the central Sahara.

Hominids: Homo sapiens      

Archaeology:Middle Stone Age (MSA)/Mousterian  Late Stone Age (LSA)/Upper Paleolithic    

Important specimens: Site is more famous for Holocene cattle remains, but late MSA (Aterian industry of late MSA) also occurs in lower units. These levels indicate long distance (>250km) transport of raw materials (Clark, 1993).

Notes: "Aterian artefacts recovered from numerous ancient Saharan lake bed contexts, such as at Adrar Bous (Clark, 1993), are probably of similar age, for abundant 230Th/234U determinations (e.g., Fontes & Gasse, 1991) on desert lacustrine carbonates designate several humid episodes between 150 and 75 ka, followed by a hyperarid period in the Sahara lasting until c. 12 ka (Wendorf & Schild, 1992)." (Wrinn, et. al, 2003). Wendorf, F. & Schild, R. (1992). The Middle Paleolithic of Northeast, Africa: A status report. In (F. Klees & R. Kuper, Eds) New, Light on the Northeast African Past. Ko¨ ln: Heinrich-Barth-, Institut, pp. 39?78. Fontes, J.-Ch. & Gasse, F. (1991). PALHYDAF (Palaeohydrology of Africa) program: objectives, methods, major results. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 84, 191?215.

Location: Tenere Desert, Niger
Map location/coordinates reference: Site photos with associated coordinates: great tourist shot, another.

Key references: