ALBAWABA - In a groundbreaking discovery, a scientific team discovered over eighty human footprints in northern Morocco that are now considered to be the oldest in North Africa and the southern Mediterranean region. These human footprints, estimated too be around one hundred thousand years old, were found on a beach near the city of Larache, at the base of a rocky cliff off the Atlantic Ocean, around 90 kilometers south of Tangier.
The team of researchers involved in this find are from Morocco, Spain, France, and Germany.
Anas Al-Sidrati, a member of the scientific team, described these footprints as a significant find that offers new opportunities for research into prehistoric human activities in the area. The footprints were discovered during a scientific exploration of marine rocks in the region.
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The footprints are thought to belong to a group of at least five people who were likely foraging for food sources near the sea. Among these individuals, researchers identified children, teenagers, and adults, suggesting a varied group dynamic.
Researchers carefully examined and documented the human footprints, and they were confirmed to be the oldest known in North Africa and the southern Mediterranean. This discovery can shed light on early human movements and behaviors in this region. The findings, published in Nature, make for a big step forward in the study off prehistoric human presence in Morocco.
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Additionally, the discovery of these footprints complements other discoveries of ancient human remains in Jebel Irhoud, dating back to 300000 years ago, and other prehistoric sites across the country.
Al-Sidrati emphasized that this is the starting point for an in-depth investigation into the history of Homo sapiens in Morocco. The collaborative efforts of scientists from various disciplines aim to hopefully discover the mysteries surrounding early human life in North Africa, and these human footprints were just the first step.
