CAVES Project

Synchronising Caves, Archaeological and Marine Records (Leverhulme Project & CAVES Africa)

This project focuses on improving the chronological framework for Palaeolithic archaeological sites in Northwest Africa by using volcanic ash layers to synchronise cave deposits with marine and climate archives. Archaeological sequences in this region contain rich evidence for early human behaviour but are often poorly constrained in time, limiting our ability to link cultural change to environmental drivers.

The research identifies and geochemically fingerprints volcanic ash layers preserved within archaeological cave sediments and nearby offshore marine cores. These ash layers originate from large explosive eruptions in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean regions and act as time-stratigraphic markers that allow disparate records to be precisely aligned.

By integrating archaeological, marine, and palaeoenvironmental records over the last ~300,000 years, the project enables robust comparison of cultural, climatic, and ecological change during critical phases of human evolution and dispersal.

For recent updates please see our CAVES Projects website