biostudies-literatureGossa TNational Geographic SocietyRuth Amiran Fund for Archaeological Research at the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of JerusalemLeakey FoundationGerda Henkel FoundationPASTFritz Thyssen StiftungGlynn-Isaac post-doctoral fellowship of Human Evolution Research Center (HERC), University of California at BerkeleyWenner-Gren Foundatione0277029https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9728887biostudies-literatureUnknown17(12)Recent research has made great strides clarifying the chronology, temporal span, and geographic and technological patterning of the Acheulian in eastern Africa. However, highland occurrences of the Acheulian remain under-represented and their relationship to cultural dynamics in the Rift are still poorly understood. Recently, a stratified sequence of four archaeological layers, recording Acheulian occupations dated between ~1.6 Ma and ~1.3 Ma, has been discovered in locality MW2 of the Melka Wakena site-complex (south-central Ethiopian highlands). This database enabled a systematic exploration of the question of tempo and mode of technological changes at a local sequence, allowing, for the first time, comparison with other highland sites as well as in the Rift. The detailed techno-economicPloS oneContinuity and change in lithic techno-economy of the early Acheulian on the Ethiopian highland: A case study from locality MW2; the Melka Wakena site-complex.PMC9728887#9801-15Gossa THovers EfalseContinuity and change in lithic techno-economy of the early Acheulian on the Ethiopian highland: A case study from locality MW2; the Melka Wakena site-complex.Recent research has made great strides clarifying the chronology, temporal span, and geographic and technological patterning of the Acheulian in eastern Africa. However, highland occurrences of the Acheulian remain under-represented and their relationship to cultural dynamics in the Rift are still poorly understood. Recently, a stratified sequence of four archaeological layers, recording Acheulian occupations dated between ~1.6 Ma and ~1.3 Ma, has been discovered in locality MW2 of the Melka Wakena site-complex (south-central Ethiopian highlands). This database enabled a systematic exploration of the question of tempo and mode of technological changes at a local sequence, allowing, for the first time, comparison with other highland sites as well as in the Rift. The detailed techno-economic2022-01-01T00:00:00Z20222025-04-04T08:55:21.381Z2025-04-04T08:55:21.381ZS-EPMC97288873647701610.1371/journal.pone.0277029