Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
An international team of archaeologists has uncovered and identified a trackway created by multiple humans approximately 90,000 years ago in what is now Morocco. The findings were published in journal Scientific Reports.
Finding footprints from ancient times is exceptionally rare due to their typically transient nature. However, in this instance, the footprints were preserved in a sandy area on a rocky section of the Moroccan coastline.
The tracks were stumbled upon by the research team during a study of boulders near the ocean. While examining an indentation in the sand, they discovered a series of human footprints, sparking further investigation.
Through optically stimulated luminescence testing, researchers determined that the footprints date back to approximately 90,000 years ago, during the Late Pleistocene period.
Examination of the tracks revealed that they were made by at least five individuals of varying ages, including children, adolescents, and adults. The arrangement of the footprints suggests a trackway rather than isolated prints.
This trackway stands as the only known human trackway from that era in the region, adding significant value to its discovery and study.
Preservation of the trackway likely resulted from a combination of factors, including the location, sediment composition, tidal patterns, and other environmental variables. The specific activities of the individuals responsible for the footprints remain uncertain.
While the exact purpose of the group's presence on the beach remains unknown, possibilities include foraging for food, seeking relief from the heat, or simply using the beach as a navigational route during travel.