Open-Air Ethiopian Site Reveals 100,000-Year-Old Humans and Diverse Deaths

Archaeologists at the Halibee open-air site in Ethiopia’s Afar Rift uncovered thousands of stone tools and diverse animal bones dating to about 100,000 years ago, plus three human remains whose fates differ: one appears rapidly buried with intact skeleton, a second shows signs of charring, and a third bears perimortem carnivore damage. The findings suggest episodic occupation of a rich landscape by early Homo sapiens and highlight complex interactions with fauna in an open savannah, challenging the cave-centric view of ancient behavior.