Amino Chronology and an Earlier Age for the Moroccan Aterian

Abstract

As part of a joint French-Moroccan research project, a dating program in collaboration with Canadian researchers from GEOTOP has been ongoing since 1987. Due to the regional mean temperature (18–19°C) and Morocco’s intermediate-high thermal history, racemization ratios in molluscs are sufficiently high to establish a reliable zoned scale using late cycle sites. The lithostratigraphic and archaeological framework of the last climatic cycle has been established and is supported by other chronological data. Using this framework and additional AMS and14C dates on the same sample units that were used for amino acid analysis, preliminary amino acid zones using whole shell protein for the last climatic cycle along the northern part of the Atlantic Coast of Morocco are proposed. An attempt to date archaeological layers beyond the14C limit of application is presented for three Middle Paleolithic (Aterian) sites in the Rabat–Temara area. Estimated ages fall between 50 and 85 ka, according to the calibration curves established during the project.