Hippopotamus

Altamura F., Gaudzinski-Windheuser S., Melis R.T., Mussi M., 2019. Reassessing an early Middle Pleistocene Hippo Butchery Site: Gombore II-2 (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash valley, Ethiopia), in Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 32 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-019-00046-0
Abstract: Single-carcass sites of Lower and Middle Pleistocene age have attracted much attention since they were first recorded. They have been the focus both of science and of museum displays, with reconstructions of "hominins-feasting-on-a-carcass" purposefully illustrating a major step in human evolution. Here we report the Acheulean site Gombore II-2 in the upper Awash Valley of Ethiopia, dating to 0.7 Myr. In the 1970s, due to the presence of hippo remains, the site was published as a single-carcass butchering site. New excavations revealed an ichnosurface displaying animal and human footprints associated with bones and lithics. Subsequent studies of lithic and faunal remains of recent and past excavations as well as archive studies show that Gombore II-2 represents one of the earliest sites with hominin-hippo interaction. The hippo remains belong to a minimum of three carcasses, at least one of them butchered by hominins and subsequently ravaged by hyenas. However, instead of single carcasses exploited on the spot, evidence suggests the existence of a living floor where butchering episodes were performed through time, possibly transporting portions from scav-enging sites at a distance. Gombore II-2 thus provides unique insight into planning capacities and control over the environment probably by early representatives of Homo heidelbergensis.

F. Altamura,  M. Mussi, R.T. Melis, A  Middle Pleistocene hippo tracksite at Gombore II-2 (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 470, 122-131. Abstract: In this paper we describe exceptionally well-preserved evidence of hippo activity at Gombore II-2, a 700,000 year-old site at Melka Kunture, at 2000 m asl in the Ethiopian highlands, in the Upper Awash Valley.
We excavated and made casts of footprints that had been left after a volcanic eruption. The 3D casts provide a detailed record of the outer anatomy and soft tissues of Pleistocene hippos. They reveal for the first time the shape of the legs and feet of the animals. Gombore II-2 also provides information on the behavior of past hippos. This prominent species of the Africanwildlife affects the vegetation and the landscape, and acts as a geomorphological agent. The animals wallow beside bodies of water and erode deep trails linking them to pastures. At
Gombore II-2 the trampling marks converge toward an erosional feature that we interpret as a fossil trail, documenting an early Middle Pleistocene behavior similar to that of today. Signs of trampling and erosional features interpreted as hippo trails have also been described in Pliocene and early Pleistocene levels at Olduvai and Koobi Fora. We further underline that the hippo population of this tract of the valley was resilient and reestablished itself not long time after the volcanic eruption.

Several large mammal assemblages have been collected in the Roman basin since the XIX century, but they usually lack any stratigraphic datum or details about the fossiliferous localities. In this work, the stratigraphic provenance of large mammal remains discovered at Monte delle Piche (Rome) is investigated. The systematic revision of these specimens allows the recording of the presence of Hippopotamus sp., Stephanorhinus sp. and Stephanorhinus etruscus. On the basis of micropalaeontological analysis performed on sediment sampled from the studied specimens and considering the stratigraphy of the area, two fossiliferous levels are recognised at Monte delle Piche.

The remain of the hippopotamus was collected in fluvial gravels and sand deposits, in which the presence of Cyprideis is also recorded. This deposit is chronologically related to the latest Early-early Middle Pleistocene. Hippopotamus was present in Italy and Western Europe from the latest Villafranchian to MIS 4/3. The mandible of S. etruscus was collected in marine deposits along with abundant foraminifera and ostracods, which correlate with the late Early Pleistocene. Stephanorhinus etruscus occurred in Western Europe at the beginning of the Villafranchian, and it was documented until the end of the Villafranchian in Italy and until the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition in the Iberian Peninsula.

Amenemhat était « intendant du vizir », et « scribe-comptable du grain dans le grenier de l'offrande divine d'Amon » à Thèbes, sous le règne de Thoutmosis III. Il nous apparaît d'abord comme un personnage subalterne, le serviteur d'un autre. Pourtant Amenemhat était un dignitaire riche, cultivé et respecté, un personnage majeur aussi bien dans le domaine privé du second personnage de l'Etat égyptien -le vizir- que dans le riche temple d'Amon à Karnak.
Il fit creuser et décorer une tombe importante, la TT 82, dans la nécropole thébaine. Achevée, c'était un ensemble architectural et cultuel complexe. Comme toutes les autres tombes, elle devait garantir la renaissance et l'éternité de son défunt propriétaire. C'est une tombe qui semble tout à fait ordinaire, mais des recherches approfondies montrent ses particularités. Elle a été publiée en 1915 par Nina de Garis Davies et Alan Gardiner. Nina Davies a réalisé les relevés, Alan Gardiner l'étude des scènes, après les fouilles menées par Norman de Garis Davies.
La tombe TT 82 est le principal témoignage que nous ayons sur Amenemhat, mais pas le seul. L'intendant a laissé son nom dans d'autres monuments et sur des objets. L'étude de la tombe et de ces documents complémentaires nous permettent de mieux connaître Amenemhat, sa famille, ses proches, et son époque.

Resumen. En el presente trabajo se ha estudiado la totalidad (31) de los objetos en marfil recuperados en el Cerro de la Virgen (Orce, Gramada) durante las intervenciones arqueológicas realizadas entre 1963 y 1970. Se ha llevado a cabo el estudio morfo-tipológico, la caracterización de la materia prima y el análisis traceológico. Se han identificado 2 categorías diferentes de adornos (colgantes y botones), en algunos casos con subdivisiones. Se pueden sugerir diferencias temporales con el aumento de la variabilidad en momentos campaniformes (fase 2) y la presencia de algunas formas sólo en determinadas fases. Se han identificado principalmente las últimas fases de manufactura y procesos de reparación, y el análisis traceológico apoya la relación de los denominados "botones" con la vestimenta. En cuanto a la materia prima, el estudio óptico ha podido determinar el uso de marfil de elefante y de hipopótamo, además de elementos realizados sobre muestras de cetáceos y jabalíes. A través de FTIR se ha podido discriminar entre marfil de elefante asiático y africano. Frente a lo constatado en otros yacimientos, el uso de marfil de hipopótamo se constata desde el inicio de la ocupación en un momento precampaniforme y el marfil de elefante asiático sigue utilizándose hasta el Bronce Antiguo. Abstract. The totality (31) of the ivory objects recovered in Cerro de la Virgen (Orce, Gramada) site during the archaeological interventions made between 1963 and 1970 have been studied here. Morpho-typological study, raw material characterization and the traceological analysis have been carried out. Two different categories of ornaments (pendants and buttons) have been identified, in some cases with subdivisions. Temporal differences can be suggested with the increase in variability in Beaker moments (phase 2) and the presence of some types only in certain phases. The last phases of manufacturing and repair processes have been identified, and traceological analysis supports the relationship of the so-called "buttons" with the clothing. As for the raw material, the optical study has been able to determine the use of elephant and hippopotamus ivory, in addition to elements made on cetaceans and wild boar samples. Through FTIR, it has been possible to distinguish between Asian and African elephant ivory. In contrast to what has been observed in other sites, hippopotamus ivory use can be seen from the beginning of the site occupation in a pre-Beaker moment and Asian elephant ivory continues to be used until Early Bronze Age. Sumario: 1. Introducción. 2. Material y método. 3. Resultados. 4. Discusión y conclusiones. Cómo citar: Pau, C.; Morillo León, J. M.; Cámara Serrano, J. A.; Molina González, F. (2018): Los objetos de adorno en marfil del yacimiento del Cerro de la Virgen (Orce, Granada). Complutum, 29(2): 267-298.

A new locality tracked down in the Eurotas Valley (Laconia, Greece) yielded mammalian dental remains of a young individual referred to as Hippopotamus antiquus. The findings are of very large size compared to already known specimens from Greece and W. Europe. The new locality is biochronologically dated at the Early–Middle Pleistocene.