Summary of the Archaeology of Human Origins, East of Lake Turkana, Kenya.

Forty years of field and laboratory studies on archaeological materials recovered from the Koobi Fora Formation, east of Lake Turkana have yielded a comprehensive record of changing technology and underlying behaviors reflecting the diet, foraging and ranging patterns by Plio-Pleistocene hominids. Our presentation focuses on more recent studies at Koobi Fora against the background of earlier studies conducted in the 1970’s. More recent survey and excavation have extended the archaeological record into the late Pliocene Upper Burgi Member. This new evidence will be compared and contrasted to that known from the K.B.S. Member (Oldowan) and Okote Member (Karari/Developed Oldowan). Implications of this comprehensive archaeological record ranging in age from 2.2 million years to 1.6 million will be discussed from an ancient landscape perspective. Finally, the discussion will center on major early hominid behavioral issues, particularly in light the emergence of early Homo, Homo habilis, and the
subsequent emergence of early African Homo erectus and their contrasting behaviors as reflected in the east Turkana archaeological record.

Keywords: Paleoanthropology, Hominins, Paleoenviroment, Landscape Archaeology, Diet, Foraging, Lithic Technology.