Settlement Patterns of the Hominids During the Pleistocene Period: a Case Study of Lower Okote Member Sites; East of Lake Turkana; Marsabit County

Abstract

The common denominator for early Pleistocene sites is hominid tool manufacture. The majority of excavated sites contain dozens of hundreds of stone artifacts. Although not all stone artifacts found at sites were manufactured at the location, the examination of these artifacts as a technological tool is important. Such examinations and analyses have been conducted widely and yielded vital information about early hominids' settlement patterns and life-ways. This study demonstrates the selective pressures that acted on our early hominids hence mediating their behaviors. While using stone tools as proxies, this study focused on an analysis of archaeological assemblages from four sites located in Karari, East of Lake Turkana; Marsabit County. The main objective of the study was to reconstruct patterns of behaviors of early hominids through the lens of material remains they left behind. Therefore, the study-specific objectives included as assessment of hominids' adaptive strategies that conditioned their behaviors in the procurement and use of diverse raw materials, an assessment of commonalities and variations of hominids' behaviors across sites as reflected by the archaeological assemblages, and a comparison of these patterns of behaviors across space. This study was guided by two theories; central place theory and resource availability theory. Stone tools from four sites (FxJj18 IHS, FxJj20 E, FxJj23, and FxJj50) were analyzed. Overall, twenty-six attributes were observed and recorded including, raw material types, amount of cortex, weathering, flake types, artifact types, and toth types. Stone tools data was analyzed through R- programing and PAST statistical tools. The results from the study indicate that to a greater extent, the availability of critical raw materials including food, water, and raw materials played a critical role in affecting hominids' behavior in the procurement, use, and discard of these resources. In this regard, sites such as FxJj50, located at the furthest distance from the raw material sources exhibited unique patterns of behavior in procuring and transporting different cobbles in anticipation of future use. FxJj23 represented a point on the landscape where huge stone tools could be made for transport later while FxJj20 East and FxJj18 IHS showed a point whereby modified stone tools were made for different tasks including pounding.