How did the elephant die? Was it hunted by humans, or did it die of other causes?
Did the people take the food away to another site, or eat a hurried meal by
the carcass?
Did the early humans of the area consume the best parts of meat, or did they
only eat what other animals left them?
Where did the rock come from that was used to fashion the tools?
The
fossilized elephant skeleton being excavated here is of the extinct species
Elephas recki. The elephant died in a bog near the shores of the ancient
lake at Olorgesailie, and soon after death its carcass was visited by a group
of early humans. Cut-marks on the bone are evidence of having been butchered
with stone tools. Researches are attempting to reconstruct the pattern of events
at this butchery site. A detailed series of events could shed much light on
the behaviors and culture of the early humans who visited this site. Some of
the questions we are asking are: