90,000-Year-Old Footprints Discovered in Morocco: What Don’t We Know?

Archaeologists have revealed an extraordinary find – the oldest human footprints ever documented in North Africa and the southern Mediterranean. Dating back an impressive 90,000 years, these footprints were unearthed on the shores of Larache, Morocco, by a diverse team of researchers led by Moncef Essedrati.

The facts

A research professor and laboratory director at the French University of Southern Brittany, Moncef Essedrati, discovered with his team 85 footprints across two trails along Larache Beach in Morocco.

Employing optically stimulated luminescence dating, a state-of-the-art technique that discerns the last time certain minerals were exposed to heat or sunlight, Essedrati’s team successfully pinpointed the time frame when a diverse group of Homo sapiens walked along the gradually inclining shoreline approximately 90,000 years ago.

“Between tides, I said to my team that we should go north to explore another beach. We were surprised to find the first print. At first, we weren’t convinced it was a footprint, but then we found more of the trackway,” Essedrati told Live Science.

The arguments

While the footprints provide evidence of human presence, researchers are curious about the specific characteristics of the individuals who left these prints. Questions regarding their age, sex, and physical attributes could arise.

Understanding why these individuals were traversing the landscape at that time could shed light on their behaviour and societal organisation. Were they hunting, gathering, or engaging in some other activity? These are some questions that have sprung up.

On the other hand, there is the question of how scientifically proven the footsteps are of human beings who lived some 90,000 years. How are there pieces of evidence of their footprints amid soil erosion and degradation over the years?

What we don’t know is how the climate, vegetation, and resource availability at that time were to have left deep footprints after 90,000 years.

However, The discovery holds cultural significance for the people of Morocco and the wider region, highlighting the rich and complex history of human occupation in North Africa. It underscores the importance of preserving and celebrating this heritage.

Overall, the discovery of 90,000-year-old footprints in Morocco sparks a range of arguments and discussions that extend beyond the realm of archaeology, touching on broader issues related to human history, culture, and scientific inquiry.