Surveys and excavations of the region have led to the identification of hundreds of fossils and artifacts.[6] Much of the artifacts found in the area are
acheulean or
oldowan.[7][8]
Following a 1994 prospection of the region, surveys were carried out in 1995.[9] These surveys were conducted by the Asmara Department of Mines, the Department of
Earth Sciences, the Eritrean Ministry of Energy and Mines, and the
University of Florence.[10] Buya was excavated from 1995 to 1997 by a team of Eritrean and Italian
paleontologists from the
National Museum of Eritrea, and the
University of Florence.[11] The material they uncovered was stored in the Asmara Department of Mines. Archaeological work was temporarily halted from 1998-1999 by the
Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict. Research began again in 2000. They established a laboratory in 2001 within the National Museum of Eritrea for the safekeeping of the fossils.[12] One of the paleontologists, Lorenzo Rook,[13] unearthed fragments of the Homo erectus fossil Madam Buya.[14][15] The fossil was found inside of ancient lake
sediments located within the
Danakil Depression.[11]
This skeleton consisted of a nearly complete
cranium,[15] two fragments of a
pelvis, and two
incisors.[16] It lacks a
mandible and has no remaining
dental crowns. Most of the
root canals were missing, although a few were preserved in the
maxilla.[17] The root canals show
occlusal wear,
dentine accumulation, and loss of
enamel.[17][18] The cranium has a long and narrow braincase, round parietooccipital area, bulging
occipital lobes, a
constricted postorbital area, and a
volume of 995
cubic centimeters.[19] It has a more pronounced
bossing, large and deeper
orbits, larger
zygomatic bones with maxilla, a slightly more curved frontal profile, and a thinner
endocranium than other archaic human fossils.[20] According to research published in 2022, the maxilla of this fossil are larger than any other known Early Pliocene hominin fossil.[21] Two fossils of
permanent teeth with dental crowns and roots, as well as a
hip bone fragment, were uncovered in 1995. In 2003 archaeologists uncovered a
pubic symphysis fragment at the site.[22] These fossils are all thought to belong to the same individual.[17] Analysis of the pubic symphysis suggests that the skeleton may have belonged to an individual between the ages of 25-30.[22]
The fossil bears characteristics of both Homo erectus skeletons and Homo sapiens skeletons.[23] It has a large
brow ridge,
ovalneurocranium, and wide
cheekbones. These traits are all characteristics of a Homo erectus fossil. It also has a cranium which is widest high on the
vault, which is a human trait.[11] The fossil contains features of both Early Pleistocene human fossils and Middle Pleistocene fossils, providing archaeologists with evidence of the transition between these two periods. For these reasons, the discovery is considered an important source of information about the
development of modern humans.[11][24][25][26] The fossils found at the site were dated to be one
million-years-old.[27][28]Fission-track dating of the fossils dated them to be 0.75±0.16 million years old. Further research led to an estimated age of 1.3±0.3 million years old.[29]
Another team of Italian, French, and Eritrean paleontologists conducted an excavation in 2011.[30] They found another Homo erectus fossil at the site.[31][32] Massimo Delfino, one of the paleontologists, found the artifact while conducting a routine survey of the area.[33][34][35] Another excavator, Husein Omar, discovered a set of 650,000 to 1.4 million-year-old
molars. According to Medin, this discovery provided a vital source of information about human development during this time period and an opportunity for further research in Eritrea.[36] In 2012 archaeologists working for the
Sapienza University of Rome made another expedition.[37][38][39] This project was coordinated with the
University of Padua,
National Museum of Natural History in Paris, and the
University of Turin.[2][33][40] They found another million-year-old fossil and some lithic objects.[41][42] Because of this discovery, the site was nicknamed the "Shrine of the Amygdales" for its large quantity of important archaeological sites.[43][44] In addition, six traces of 800,000-year-old human footprints have been found in the region.[6][45]
Archaeologists have uncovered 213
lithic objects at Buya. According to a 2004 study of the site, they found 133
flakes, 26
choppers, 13
hand-axes, 9
hammerstones, 6
cores, 2
hammers, and 1
trihedral pick. These objects were found across three areas. Area one is located along a
gully in the northern part of the region. Area two is located on elevated ground in the northeastern part of the region. Area three is located along the western borders of Buya. 98 flakes, 15 choppers, 8 hammerstones, 4 cores, one hand-axe, one pitted pebble, and one trihedral pick were all found in area one. 78 of these objects contained unworn edges, with only 37 having any wear. The axes and choppers were made from pebbles. The hammerstones were made of
quartz arentine. Some of the axes and the pick were made from
basalt. The flakes were primarily made from
quartz, although
marble, basalt, and
quartzite were also utilized. 98 total artifacts were recovered from area two. These materials consist of 22 flakes, 10 hand-axes, 9 choppers, and a basalt pebble used as a hammer. Most of the choppers from this area were unworn, with only having
patina. The axes are also mostly unworn and are primarily made from
schist and basalt. Although marble was used for one of them. The one core is made from marble, and the one hammer is made from an elongated oval-shaped basalt
pebble. Only 12 artifacts were found in area three. These consist of 8 flakes, 2 transverse choppers, 1 hand-axe, and a core. The choppers were made from elongated marble pebbles, the hand-axe from a basalt flake, and the core was made from a thick basalt pebble. 6 of the flakes were made from quartz and 2 were made from basalt. There were a small number of objects identified in between these areas. These include 3 basalt flakes, 1 quartz flake, 1 quartz arenite flake, 1
cordiform axe, and a quartz arenite hammerstone.[46]
Hundreds of
trace fossils were identified in Buya. These fossils can be divided into two categories. One is
rosette-shaped trace fossils, the other is ring-shaped fossils. These fossils were likely made by
oolitic sand filling in imprints left by the original object. It is unclear what organisms could have made it. It can be inferred that
soft-bodied organisms with
radial symmetry were responsible for the original imprints. They likely used a
pedal disc to create the imprint.
Sea anemones were considered as a potential origin of the fossils, however, sea anemone appear in the ocean, whilst these fossils occurred on land. Other species such as
scyphoza have been considered, however, the patterns in the ichnofossils are unlike other known animals. It is possible that two new
ichnotaxa were responsible for the imprints.
Abiogenic origins have also been considered, although, the complexity of the patterns strongly suggest that they have
biogenic origins.[56]
Cutmarks in fossilized bones and flesh indicate that a Pleistocene human population may have practiced the
butchering of animal carcasses. One bovid fossil bears deep cuts on the neck, near the
jugular vein. These cuts were likely made by a lithic tool and intended to
decapitate the animal. Another waterbuck fossil shows oblique, short, and straight scratch marks likely also made by a lithic tool, to
skin the animal. Another mammalian hip pelvis fossil and a crocodile
femur fossil also contain scratch marks indicating that it was skinned. V-shaped cutmarks probably made by a lithic tool were found on the
femur of a hippopotamus fossil. They were likely an attempt to detach the leg from the body. Three short and arched cutmarks were identified on the fossil of a hippopotamus
tibia. They appear to have been made by stone tools and to have been intended to separate the leg from the
joints. Bitemarks found on other fossils and
coprolites found at the site indicate the presence of
carnivores.[57]
^
abcMacchiarelli, Roberto & Bondioli, Luca & CHECH, MARIO & Coppa, Alfredo & Fiore, Ivana & RUSSOM, REZENE & VECCHI, FRANCESCO & LIBSEKAL, YOSIEF & Rook, Lorenzo. (2004).
The Late Early Pleistocene human remains from Buia, Danakil Depression, Eritrea. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 110. 133-144. 10.13130/2039-4942/5768.
^Beaudet, Amélie; Bruner, Emiliano (2017-08-01). "A frontal lobe surface analysis in three archaic African human fossils: OH 9, Buia, and Bodo". Comptes Rendus Palevol. Hominin biomechanics, virtual anatomy and inner structural morphology: From head to toe. A tribute to Laurent Puymerail. 16 (5): 499–507.
Bibcode:
2017CRPal..16..499B.
doi:
10.1016/j.crpv.2016.12.002.
hdl:2263/62831.
ISSN1631-0683.
^Delfino, Massimo; Segid, Amaha; Yosief, Dessale; Shoshani, Jeheskel; Rook, Lorenzo; Libsekal, Yosief (March 22, 2004).
"Fossil Reptiles From the Pleistocene Homo Bearing Locality of Buya"(PDF). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 110: 51–60.
Archived(PDF) from the original on December 8, 2021.
^Teklesenbet, Andemariam; Eysteinsson, Hjálmar; Karl Rosenkjær, Guðni; Karlsdóttir, Ragna (2010).
"Resistivity Survey in Alid Geothermal Area, Eritrea"(PDF). Proceedings World Geothermal Congress: 1.
Archived(PDF) from the original on October 21, 2023.