Ochre use persisted over thousands of years in Ethiopian cave
Posted on May 25, 2017
Ochre, an iron-rich rock characterized by a red or yellow colour, is found at many Middle Stone Age sites. The largest known East African collection of Middle Stone Age ochre, found at Porc-Epic Cave in Ethiopia, weighs around 40kg and is thought to date to ca. 40,000 years ago.
The authors of a study published in PLOS ONE (open access) conducted a detailed analysis of 3792 pieces of ochre, using microscopy and experimental reproduction of grinding techniques to assess how the ochre was processed and used over a 4,500-year timespan.
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2017/ochre-use-persisted-over-thousands-of-years-in-ethiopian-cave
