Hoedjiespunt
South Africa

Hoedjiespunt

Middle Pleistocene hominid fossil-bearing sand dune

Location

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Historical Context

About

Hoedjiespunt is an archaeological site on the West coast of South Africa, near Saldanha Bay. It dates back to the Middle Pleistocene, approximately 280,000 years ago, and is significant for its hominid fossils attributed to Homo heidelbergensis. The site, an ancient brown hyena lair, is embedded within a sand dune, which later fossilized under a calcrete layer. Excavations have revealed thousands of fossils, including teeth, skull fragments, and a tibia shaft from a juvenile hominid. This site provides valuable insights into early human life and the ecological conditions of the time. The discovery of this site adds to the understanding of hominid evolution and migration patterns in Africa during the Lower Paleolithic period.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Visual Archive

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FileHoedjiespunt2_fossil_jackal.jpg
Temporal Epochs

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Formation of calcrete

280,000 years ago

Classification

Archaeological Features

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Environmental and Natural Features

Bone Middens
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Reference

Details

Country

South Africa

Coordinates

-33.03° N, 17.96° E