Uranium-Series Dated Authigenic Carbonates and Acheulian Sites in Southern Egypt

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 243; no. 4894; pp. 1053 - 1056
• Main Authors: Szabo, B. J., McHugh, W. P., Schaber, G. G., Haynes, C. V., Breed, C. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Legacy CDMS The American Association for the Advancement of Science 24.02.1989; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: 580000 - Geosciences; Acheulian culture; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; AFRICA; AGE ESTIMATION; ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS; Alluvium; Analysis; Archaeology; CALCIUM CARBONATES; CALCIUM COMPOUNDS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBONATES; CULTURAL OBJECTS; DATA; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; Egypt; EGYPTIAN ARAB REPUBLIC; Excavations (Archaeology); EXPERIMENTAL DATA; Geological surveys; GEOSCIENCES; Geosciences (General); Gravel; Groundwater; Hand axes; Historic artifacts; INFORMATION; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; ISOTOPE EFFECTS; ISOTOPES; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; Paleontology; Radar; Radioactive dating; Radiometric dating; Sediments; TRACER TECHNIQUES; URANIUM ISOTOPES; Valleys; Wadis; Egypt
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.243.4894.1053

Field investigations in southern Egypt have yielded Acheulian artifacts in situ in authigenic carbonate deposits (CaCO$_{3}$-cemented alluvium) along the edges of now-aggraded paleovalleys (Wadi Arid and Wadi Safsaf). Uranium-series dating of 25 carbonate samples from various localities as far apart as 70 kilometers indicates that widespread carbonate deposition occurred about 45, 141 and 212 ka (thousand years ago). Most of the carbonate appears to have been precipitated from groundwater, which suggests that these three episodes of deposition may be related to late Pleistocene humid climates that facilitated human settlement in this now hyperarid region. Carbonate cements from sediments containing Acheulian artifacts provide a minimum age of 212 ka for early occupation of the paleovalleys.