Archaeologists from the University of Brussels have uncovered seven ancient human sites and stone tools dating back 1.5 million years in western Iraq.
Senior researcher Ella Egberts conducted fieldwork in the Al-Shabaka area, focusing on the landscape's historical formation and assessing the preservation of Paleolithic archaeological sites.
The expedition covered a 10×20 km area, which was once a lake during the Pleistocene epoch (up to 12,000 years ago), now marked by dry riverbeds. The team collected over 850 artifacts, including primitive stone hand axes and later Levallois technique tools.
Hand axes are typically associated with the Acheulean culture, which existed between approximately 1.76 million and 400,000 years ago. The Levallois technique found at this site dates to the Middle Paleolithic period (around 300,000 to 40,000 years ago). Researchers suggest that the discovered tools, including the hand axes, may date back to 1.5 million years, though definitive confirmation requires further analysis.
Egberts emphasized that the location of the sites and terrain analysis aid in understanding how ancient humans utilized this area. The team plans to expand their research, conduct detailed analysis of the findings, and investigate changes in the surrounding environment.