Local People’s Interpretations of the Hominin Footprints at Laetoli, Tanzania.

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorIchumbaki, Elgidius E.B.
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-01T15:47:15Z
dc.date.available2023-02-01T15:47:15Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractIn 1976 and 2014, scientists reported hominin footprints in Pliocene volcanic deposits at Laetoli, north-eastern Tanzania. They hypothesized that the footprints belong to the extinct hominin species Australopithecus afarensis. Not only have the footprints shaped scientists’ understanding of human biological evolution, but they have also placed Laetoli and Tanzania on the world’s paleoanthropological studies map. However, there have been different interpretations of who made these footprints. Opinions of the scientists on the footprints are widely documented, yet narratives of Maasai (local people living around Laetoli) have never been investigated. This paper documents the perceptions of Maasai on what these footprints are, and to whom they belong. We report that concepts related to the nature and genesis of the footprints and who made them form part of the Maasai’s history. Finally, we suggest that for sustainable footprints preservation, local narratives about footprints be integrated into scientific interpretations of the site.en_US
dc.identifier.citationIchumbaki, E.B. Cherin, M., Masao, F.T. and Moggi-Cecchi, J. 2019. “Local People’s Interpretations of the Hominin Footprints at Laetoli, Tanzania.” Journal of Community Archaeology and Heritage 6(2), pp. 122-138.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1080/20518196.2019.1594035
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/5963
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherRoutledgeen_US
dc.subjectHeritage Studiesen_US
dc.titleLocal People’s Interpretations of the Hominin Footprints at Laetoli, Tanzania.en_US
dc.typeJournal Article, Peer Revieweden_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Local people s interpretations of the hominin footprints at Laetoli Tanzania.pdf
Size:
3.66 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Department of Archeology and Heritage Studies