Tracing Ancient Steps: 90,000-Year-Old Footprints Unearthed on Moroccan Shore

Exploring North Africa's Coastal Mysteries Reveals One of the World's Oldest Human Trackways

Humanity's ancient journey leaves imprints in unexpected places. In a serendipitous coastal exploration, researchers discovered a treasure of pristine footprints on a Moroccan beach, shedding light on a multigenerational group of Homo sapiens that walked the sandy shores approximately 90,000 years ago.

Researchers discovered 85 footprints made by humans thousands of years ago at a beach in Morocco. (Image credit: M. Sedrati, et al)

Unveiling a Coastal Chronicle

Mouncef Sedrati, lead author and associate professor of coastal dynamics, recounted the unexpected find. The team, initially studying boulders, stumbled upon the first footprint, later unraveling an intricate trackway — a rare testament to ancient human presence in North Africa.

An Archaeological Masterpiece

Unveiled in Scientific Reports¹, this archaeological masterpiece boasts 85 well-preserved footprints, offering a unique glimpse into the Late Pleistocene era. The tracks, belonging to at least five individuals across different age groups, narrate a story of our ancestors engaging with the coastal landscape.

Decoding the Sands of Time

Optically stimulated luminescence dating painted a vivid picture of the ancient stroll. Analyzing the quartz grains composing the beach's sand, researchers determined the footprints' age — a significant 90,000 years — aligning with the last ice age.

The Preservation Enigma

The impeccable preservation of these footprints poses an intriguing puzzle. The beach's peculiar layout, combined with the swift tidal burial, created optimal conditions for their survival. Positioned on a rocky platform covered in clay sediments, these footprints defy time's erosion.

Unanswered Questions and the Race Against Time

While the footprints captivate with their age and clarity, the purpose behind this ancient coastal rendezvous remains shrouded in mystery. The ongoing erosion of the rocky shore platform adds urgency to further analyses before this invaluable archaeological site succumbs to nature's forces.

Echoes of the Past

These footprints echo through time, inviting anthropologists and archaeologists to unravel the daily lives and activities of a prehistoric community. As the rocky shore platform faces an uncertain fate, researchers aim to extract as much knowledge as possible, decoding the ancient tale etched in the sands of Morocco.

1. Sedrati, M., Morales, J. A., Duveau, J., M’rini, A. E., Mayoral, E., Díaz-Martínez, I., Anthony, E. J., Bulot, G., Sedrati, A., Le Gall, R., Santos, A., & Rivera-Silva, J. (2024). A Late Pleistocene hominin footprint site on the North African coast of Morocco. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52344-5