Terra Amata (archaeological site)

Terra Amata is the name of a small alley to the old port of Nice, in southern France. At the end of the alley was discovered in 1965 during excavation of the oldest known dwellings in Western Europe scoring artifacts with an age of about 400,000 years.

The excavation encountered at a depth of about 15 m on traces of Homo erectus group. There have been recovered about 35,000 objects whose evaluation allowed a reconstruction of the square and the landscape. At this time the sea level was 25 meters higher than today and formed a bay, was on the Terra Amata.

There were 21 homes detected. Four on an elongated sandbank, six on the beach and 11 on a dune. They were built annually in the spring at the same place. The oval dwellings varied in length between eight and 15 m in width between four and almost six meters for accommodating 20-25 people. The roofs consisted of oblique branches. The interior contained a fireplace, bedroom and jobs. A spherical impression may come from a wooden device, were kept in the fruit, seeds or water. Skeletal remains were not found, but an 24 cm long footprint was preserved. It ocher pieces were found. The Acheulian devices were partly made of beach pebbles. Were hunted elephants, fish, rhinos, tortoises, mountain goats, birds, wild cattle, and wild boar. Were collected oysters, limpets and mussels.