Mid-Holocene climate and high-elevation environments during the Later Stone Age occupations of Beefa Cave (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia)

A shift from wetter, mixed C3-C4 environments to more open, seasonally dry high-elevation landscapes occurred during the mid-Holocene (∼5 ka) in the Ethiopian highlands, as revealed by stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of bovid tooth enamel from Beefa Cave. This study provides evidence for pronounced seasonal hydroclimatic variability and a strong reliance on C4 grasses among Later Stone Age occupants. Intra-tooth oxygen values oscillations document marked water availability changes during enamel mineralization, while comparisons with earlier Pleistocene records highlight long-term ecological reorganization. These findings offer new insights into the environmental context of hunter-gatherer occupations in the region.

Briatico, G., Hailu, H., Geraads, D., Mussi, M., Melis, R. T., & Mutri, G. (2026). Mid-Holocene climate and high-elevation environments during the Later Stone Age occupations of Beefa Cave (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 70, 105637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105637