• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

90,000-year-old human footprints discovered on Moroccan beach

by Dario Radley
February 2, 2024

An international team of archaeologists, led by Mouncef Sedrati, an associate professor of coastal dynamics and geomorphology at the University of Southern Brittany in France, has uncovered one of the largest and best-preserved trackways in the world on a beach in Morocco.

90,000-year-old human footprints discovered on Moroccan beach
The area delimited by the dotted red line corresponds to the footprint discovery zone. The vertical white line corresponds to the location of the sediment log analyzed in this study. Credit: Sedrati et al. Sci Rep (2024)

The findings, detailed in a study published in Scientific Reports, provide a unique glimpse into the activities of early modern humans approximately 90,000 years ago during the Late Pleistocene

The accidental discovery occurred in 2022 when Sedrati and his team were studying boulders near the northern tip of North Africa. While waiting for the tides to change, Sedrati suggested exploring another beach, where the researchers stumbled upon the first set of footprints.

Further examination revealed a total of 85 human footprints, forming two distinct trails, believed to have been imprinted by at least five individuals of various ages, including children, adolescents, and adults.

90,000-year-old human footprints discovered on Moroccan beach
Hominin footprints from Larache. Credit: Sedrati et al. Sci Rep (2024)

The trackway, the only known site of its kind in North Africa and the Southern Mediterranean from that time, has been dated using optically stimulated luminescence. By analyzing fine grains of quartz on the sandy beach, the researchers determined that the footprints were made around 90,000 years ago.

RelatedStories

New study confirms ancient human footprints in New Mexico date back 23,000 years

New study confirms ancient human footprints in New Mexico date back 23,000 years

June 22, 2025
4,000-year-old footprints near Pompeii reveal Bronze Age escape from Vesuvius

4,000-year-old footprints near Pompeii reveal Bronze Age escape from Vesuvius

February 1, 2025

The exceptional preservation of the footprints can be attributed to the beach’s unique rocky platform covered in clay sediments, which created optimal conditions for the tracks to endure while the tides rapidly buried the rest of the beach.

These footprints represent one of the largest and best-preserved trackways ever found. The team’s meticulous on-site measurements, including the length and depth of the prints, provided information about the multigenerational group’s composition and approximate ages. Sedrati emphasized, “Based on the foot pressure and size of the footprints, we were able to determine the approximate age of the individuals.”

90,000-year-old human footprints discovered on Moroccan beach
Images of some of the hominin tracks in Larache. (a) Two tracks side by side at the bottom of the photo, which also depicts a ground control point (chequered cardboard) for differential GPS surveying. (b) Two cross trackways and photography for 3D footprint modelling. (c) to (g) Detailed view of some footprints. White Scale bars = 20 cm. Credit: Sedrati et al. Sci Rep (2024)

The researchers remain intrigued about the purpose of the Ice Age group’s presence on the beach, with possibilities ranging from searching for food to cooling off or simply navigating through the area. However, the ongoing collapse of the rocky shore platform poses a threat to the site’s preservation, urging the team to act swiftly to unveil more details about the ancient humans’ history.

This discovery adds complexity to our understanding of early Homo sapiens movements. Dr. Sedrati was also part of a research crew that, in 2020, uncovered human and animal footprints in the Nefud Desert in Saudi Arabia, dating back around 120,000 years.

More information: Sedrati, M., Morales, J.A., Duveau, J. et al. (2024). A Late Pleistocene hominin footprint site on the North African coast of Morocco. Sci Rep 14, 1962. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-52344-5
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation
Archaeology

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation

July 15, 2025
Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris
Anthropology

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

July 15, 2025
4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites
Anthropology

4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

July 14, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts
Archaeology

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle
Anthropology

1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle

July 12, 2025
11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals
Archaeology

11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals

July 12, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
246K

Facebook
111K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore, study finds

Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore

July 3, 2025
Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

July 3, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation

July 15, 2025
Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

July 15, 2025
4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

July 14, 2025
Castillian ambassadors attempting to convince Almohad king Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada to join their alliance. Contemporary depiction from The Cantigas de Santa Maria. Public Domain

Zīrid Ifrīqiya and the Islamic world in the 10th–12th centuries: an international conference at UCL

July 14, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.