Oldowan/Acheulean Succession at Olduvai Gorge

AbstractThe Acheulean techno‐complex was first identified in 1859 at St Acheul (France) and ever since then, understanding its development has been a prominent area of research within Palaeolithic archaeology. Although the oldest Oldowan and Acheulean are now found in Ethiopia and Kenya; Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, did, for a long time, provide the earliest examples of both industries, and it still preserves a detailed stratigraphic sequence of Oldowan and Acheulean assemblages. In this sense, Olduvai Gorge has played a central role in exploring the transition from the Oldowan to the Acheulean.Key ConceptsThe Acheulean appears in Kenya at 1.75 Mya.The Acheulean appears in East Africa chronologically after the Oldowan; however, there is a degree of overlap.The Oldowan is typically associated withHomo habilis.The Acheulean is typically associated withHomo ergatser/erectus.Historically, it was suggested that the Oldowan developed into the Acheulean, mirroring hominin evolution.More recently, it is suggested that the Oldowan/Acheulean transition at Olduvai Gorge was a punctuated event associated with the emergence of a new hominin species.