The dating results for Lomekwi 3 are contested, he noted, and he has serious doubts that the remains found at that site date back 3.3 million years. "For many of us - myself included - unequivocal evidence for the oldest archaeological occurrences comes in the form of 2.6-million-year-old stone tools from Gona," which is located by the Kada Gona river in Afar, Ethiopia, Sahle said. In other words, the artifacts may not date to the same time as the sediment that it was found in. Indeed, a number of recent papers "call into question the status of the artifacts at Lomekwi 3, arguing that some of the artifacts were not actually found in a context where the age of the artifacts can be certain," David Braun, an anthropology professor at The George Washington University, told Live Science. "Lomekwi is controversial, and some of our colleagues remain unconvinced of the antiquity of these tools," DeSilva told Live Science. Jeremy DeSilva, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College who was not involved in the study, agreed that Lomekwi 3 is the oldest known archaeological site, but he noted that not all scholars agree. "Lomekwi 3 is the oldest known archaeological site in the world," Jason Lewis, assistant director of the Turkana Basin Institute and a co-author of the paper, told Live Science in an email. The number of people who lived at the site at any given time is not clear. It's possible that Australopithecus afarensis was using the stone artifacts to break open nuts the team wrote in the paper. Customs and Border Protection didn't respond to questions from Live Science about what to do with these artifacts, but in 2022 they will probably have to make a decision.The site is located in a wooded area on a small hill not far from Lake Turkana. Do they return stolen artifacts to the Taliban-ruled government - knowing that in the past the Taliban has destroyed antiquities? Or do they hold artifacts in storage somewhere or even direct law-enforcement agencies to ignore stolen artifacts from Afghanistan? In 2021, government agencies such as the U.S. Stolen antiquities from Afghanistan will likely appear in the United States and other countries, forcing governments to make some tough choices. ![]() With economic desperation growing, there is a good chance that looting will also increase as people struggle to feed themselves and their families. Governments around the world suspended aid to Afghanistan's government, curtailing its ability to do even the most basic things like purchase food. The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, hurtling the country into an economic crisis. (Image credit: Shilo Watts/Getty Images) (opens in new tab) The country faces an economic and humanitarian crisis that may result in more people trying to loot sites out of desperation. Afghanistan looting and decisionsĪ village in Kandahar, Afghanistan. But who were they? How many ceremonial sites did they build? Did they also build large administrative buildings or houses? In 2022 we may discover clues to help us answer these questions. It seems likely that those who used the Karahantepe complex were also involved with Gobekli Tepe. Karahantepe is located not far from Gobekli Tepe, a massive ceremonial complex that also dates back around 11,000 years. ![]() ![]() It's a big site, however, and excavations are ongoing, so we can expect more discoveries about the site and the people who built it in 2022. So far archaeologists have found a complex where people likely marched past phallus-shaped pillars and a carved human head. (Image credit: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (opens in new tab)Įxcavations at Karahantepe in Turkey are giving us new insights into what life was like in this part of the world around 11,000 years ago. ![]() We will likely hear of new discoveries from this site in 2022. Part of the site of Karahantepe is seen here.
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