{"id":1627,"date":"2018-09-20T16:01:20","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T14:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ifas.org.za\/research\/?p=1627"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:42:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:42:33","slug":"humans-origins-in-namibia-2015-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ifas.org.za\/research\/uncategorized\/humans-origins-in-namibia-2015-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"HoN Project – Human Origins in Namibia (2015-2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An archaeological fieldwork project<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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In short<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Human Origins in Namibia<\/em> (HoN) project was initiated in 2015 with the financial support of the French Ministry Foreign of Affairs Commission on Archaeological Excavations<\/mark> <\/a>(Commission des fouilles), Inrap<\/mark><\/a>, UMR 5608 TRACES<\/mark><\/a> (CNRS<\/mark> <\/a>\/ Universit\u00e9 Toulouse Jean-Jaur\u00e8s<\/mark><\/a>) and <\/a>IFAS-Research<\/a>.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HoN project, led by Laurent Bruxelles (UMR 5608-TRACES, IFAS-Research), is an archaeological fieldwork project aiming to find new fragments of the \u201cCradle of Humankind\u201d by extending their research beyond South Africa. From December 2015 to September 2018, five missions were conducted in the Aha Hills, in Namibia, and allowed the discovery of sedimentary breccia in a karstic formation \u2014 that is, a potential fossiliferous trap.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Drone view of the Aha Hills \u00a9 CNRS – Laurent Bruxelles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Why?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

To date, two main regions in Africa are considered “cradle of humankind<\/strong>“,  where fossiliferous sites yielded ancient hominins<\/em>, including Australopithecus<\/em>, Paranthropus <\/em>and Homo<\/em>, covering the period of appearance of the genus Homo<\/em>: the Great East African Rift<\/strong> and the South African karsts<\/strong>. These two regions, separated by approximately 4000km, show a parallel but complementary recording of this long evolutionary process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the region between the Great East African Rift and the South African karst remains little known meanwhile hominins most likely occupied this area. This lack of research represents an important scientific gap in understanding the distribution of Australopithecus <\/em>and Paranthropus<\/em> across the continent, as well as the relationships between these two species and their connection to the emergence of the genus Homo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The HoN research project aims to identify new geological fossiliferous trapsparticularly focusing on karst systems, that may have preserved other pieces of the \u201cCradle of Humankind\u201d. Currently-known sites of the region were preserved by specific geological and geomorphological contexts (rift in East Africa and karst in South Africa) which favoured fossil conservation. The HoN Project intends to find other sites in Southern Africa which gather the geological and geomorphological conditions necessary to become \u201cfossiliferous traps\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Map showing locations of the Great East African Rift (black lines) and the main plaeoanthropological sites found within it (red dots), as well as the main plaeoanthropological sites documented in Southern African karst systems (blue dots). Purple circles indicate location of current research programs (HON and HOMME). \u00a9<\/code> L. Bruxelles<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n


Where?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The project focuses on the Aha Hills<\/strong>, located partlyin northeastern Namibia and western Botswana. This area was selected for several reasons: <\/p>\n\n\n\n