Taforalt Caves
In the Cave of Pigeons is a cave at Taforalt (hence Grottes de Taforalt called ) in the region of Oujda in eastern Morocco. There, the total of about 10 m thick layers, which were discovered in the last season of excavations have been since the discovery in 1908, several excavations ( 1944-1947, 1950-1955 and 1969-1977 ) performed last from 2003. Ranged up in the arteries back and contained the remains of more than 180 people of Ibéromaurusien in two burial areas; these and other findings can be far-reaching statements about diet changes and the burial practice. The recent excavation brought to light up to 200,000 years old finds.
2003 saw a further excavation. Here, there were 13 pierced shells ( Nassarius gibbosulus ) that have been dated to an age of 82,000 years. This type exists today only in the eastern Mediterranean, the Paleolithic representatives were larger and had thicker shells. The mussels were from dead animals, 40 km were transported far, with ocher and decorated so pierced that you could wear it as a necklace. They are considered as the oldest symbolic object. They could also an indication of social exchange networks be because they, similar objects from a slightly younger age level, were moved over considerable distances.
Recent studies of 52 skeletons from the period 15000-13700 proven ago today that the hunter-gatherers have been suffering from dental caries, although it was usually assumed that these dental disease only emerged with the crop production. Apparently this was hanging with her diet that consisted partially of significant quantities of acorns, but also from pine nuts and pistachios. Moreover, it turned out that the inhabitants of the vast cave not only a cemetery several millennia talked, which could indicate some sort of settled life but also acorn supplies docked. Since they probably his front teeth removed for ritual reasons, it is all the more surprising that no evidence found to the removal of carious teeth.
13,000 years ago, land snails must be added in large numbers to feed base. Maybe it was an abrupt change in a small number of species. These species are Alabastrina alabastrites from the family of helicid, Helix aspersa cf ( Spotted Snail ), then Dupotetia dupotetiana and Otala punctata of the genus Otala, which also belongs to the helicid and Cernuella sp from the family of deciduous snails.