Strongest evidence of early humans butchering animals discovered in North AfricaOn a high grassy plateau in Algeria, just 100 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, early human ancestors butchered extinct horses, antelopes, and other animals with primitive stone tools 2 million to 2.4 million years ago. For decades, east Africa has been considered the birthplace of our genus Homo, and the epicenter of early toolmaking for almost 1 million years. Claims of even older tools and animal bones with cutmarks stretch back 3.4 million years in east Africa, but those claims are controversial. Made of limestone and flint, the sharp-edged flakes and round cores—some the size of tennis balls—resemble those found in east Africa. Although other sites of this age in east Africa have stone tools, the evidence for actual butchery of animals is not as strong, he says.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 29, 2018 19:52 UTC