Ancient human footprints discovered on a Moroccan beach have stunned archaeologists and are forcing scientists to reconsider what we know about early human presence in North Africa.
These aren’t just any footprints—they’re 90,000 years old, dating to the middle of the last Ice Age, and represent one of the most extensive and well-preserved human trackways ever found.
The remarkable discovery reveals that entire family groups of early Homo sapiens, including children, adolescents, and adults, once walked this coastline during a period when human occupation in North Africa was thought to be sparse.
These footprints provide a rare, tangible connection to our ancient ancestors—a moment frozen in time when a group of humans, perhaps a small community, traversed a beach that would remain undisturbed for nearly a millennium.
What makes this find truly extraordinary is that these are the first human footprints of this age ever discovered in North Africa or the Southern Mediterranean region, offering unprecedented insights into human movement and social structure during this critical period of human evolution.
A Chance Discovery That Changed Everything
The footprints were discovered entirely by accident in 2022, when researchers led by Mouncef Sedrati from the University of Southern Brittany were actually studying something completely different.
“Between tides, I said to my team that we should go north to explore another beach,” Sedrati told Live Science. “We were surprised to find the first print. At first, we weren’t convinced it was a footprint, but then, we found more of the trackway.”
The scientists had been analyzing boulders at a nearby pocket beach when they decided to explore further up the coastline. What they stumbled upon would prove to be an archaeological treasure that nobody had anticipated finding in this region.
Upon closer examination, the team identified not one but two distinct trails containing a total of 85 human footprints. The pristine condition of these impressions left in ancient sand allowed researchers to analyze them in remarkable detail.
From Skepticism to Groundbreaking Discovery
Initial skepticism quickly gave way to excitement as more footprints emerged from the sand. The researchers realized they had encountered something unprecedented in the archaeological record of North Africa.
The location itself raised intriguing questions. Why were these early humans walking along this particular beach during the Ice Age?
Was this a frequently traveled route, perhaps connecting settlements or resource-gathering locations? Or did it represent a single moment—a family group moving together for some unknown purpose?
Sedrati and his team meticulously documented each footprint, measuring their dimensions, depth, and arrangement. “We took measurements on-site to determine the length and depth of the prints,” Sedrati explained.
“Based on the foot pressure and size of the footprints, we were able to determine the approximate age of the individuals, which included children, adolescents, and adults.”
This diversity of ages suggests these weren’t isolated individuals but likely a multi-generational group moving together—a rare glimpse into social structure during the Middle Paleolithic period.
Challenging Conventional Wisdom About Human Migration
For decades, scientists believed that human presence in North Africa during the Ice Age was limited and possibly concentrated in specific refuge areas.
The traditional narrative suggested that early humans migrated from Africa to Europe and Asia in waves, with little evidence of substantial sustained populations in North Africa during colder periods.
This discovery turns that assumption on its head.
The footprints demonstrate that not only were humans present in this region 90,000 years ago, but they appeared to be living in social groups that included individuals of all ages. This suggests established communities rather than transient populations passing through.
What’s particularly surprising is that these humans were active along the coastline during what would have been challenging climatic conditions.
The Ice Age brought significant environmental changes to North Africa, including altered rainfall patterns and vegetation shifts. Yet these humans were clearly adapted to whatever ecological conditions existed at that time.
Scientific Dating Confirms the Extraordinary Age
To determine exactly how old these footprints were, the research team employed a sophisticated technique called optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating.
This method, as defined by Baylor University, “provides a measure of time since sediment grains were deposited and shielded from further light or heat exposure,” effectively resetting the luminescence signal.
By analyzing fine quartz grains in the surrounding beach sand, scientists could determine when these minerals were last exposed to sunlight—in this case, approximately 90,000 years ago, placing them squarely in the Ice Age.
This dating is crucial because it situates these humans in a specific climatic and ecological context, allowing researchers to better understand the environmental conditions they faced and adapted to.
A Perfect Preservation Through Millennia
The excellent state of preservation of these ancient footprints raises another question: how could such ephemeral impressions survive for 90,000 years when most footprints disappear with the next tide?
The answer lies in the unique geological conditions of this particular beach.
“The exceptional thing is the position of the beach on a rocky platform that is covered in clay sediments,” Sedrati explained. “These sediments create good conditions to preserve the tracks on the sandbar while the tides rapidly bury the beach. That’s why the footprints are so well preserved here.”
Essentially, the footprints were made in a type of sediment that retained their shape, and then rapidly covered by additional sediment brought in by tides. This quick burial protected them from erosion and disturbance, creating a time capsule that would remain sealed for tens of thousands of years.
Racing Against Time to Document History
Despite surviving for 90,000 years, these precious archaeological remains now face a new threat. The rocky shore platform where they’re located is gradually collapsing due to natural coastal processes.
This deterioration puts the entire trackway at risk of being lost forever—washing away a direct physical connection to our Ice Age ancestors that can never be replaced.
Researchers are now in a race against time to thoroughly document, study, and preserve as much information as possible from these footprints before they disappear.
Advanced imaging techniques, including photogrammetry and 3D scanning, are being employed to create detailed digital records that will outlast the physical impressions.
Beyond Footprints: What These Tracks Tell Us About Ancient Humans
These aren’t just random impressions in the sand—they’re a narrative written by our ancestors’ feet, telling us about their physical characteristics, behaviors, and possibly even relationships.
The varying sizes of the footprints indicate a mixed-age group, suggesting family units or small community bands traveling together. This supports theories that early human social structures were built around kinship groups, with multiple generations living and moving together.
The depth and pressure patterns of the footprints also provide clues about how these ancient humans walked, their approximate weight and height, and possibly even whether they were carrying anything when they made these tracks.
By analyzing the stride length and foot morphology, researchers can also make inferences about the physical build of these Ice Age people—were they similar in stature to modern humans? Did they walk in the same way we do today?
Expanding the Map of Ancient Human Presence
This discovery doesn’t exist in isolation—it forms part of a growing body of evidence that is gradually filling in the map of where and when early humans lived across the globe.
Similar ancient footprint discoveries have been made in other parts of the world, including Tanzania’s Engare Sero site (with footprints dating to between 19,000 and 10,000 years ago) and the White Sands National Park in New Mexico (with tracks dating back about 23,000 years).
What makes the Moroccan discovery unique is its age and location. At 90,000 years old, these prints are substantially older than many other human trackways and provide evidence of human activity in a region and time period where such direct physical evidence has been scarce.
The Continuing Mystery
Despite this remarkable find, many questions remain unanswered. Who exactly were these people? What were they doing on this beach? Were they permanent residents of the area or passing through? What was their relationship to other human populations living at the same time?
These questions highlight the tantalizing nature of archaeology—each discovery answers some questions while raising many more. The footprints offer a brief, intimate glimpse into a moment in prehistory, but the full story of these Ice Age North Africans remains largely untold.
What we do know is that the traditional narrative of human prehistory continues to be rewritten with each new discovery. The story of humanity’s past is far more complex, diverse, and fascinating than we once thought.
As researchers continue their work at this site and others around the world, we can expect more surprises that will further transform our understanding of where we came from and how our ancestors lived during the distant past.
References
- Sedrati, M., et al. (2023). Ice Age human footprints discovered in Morocco. Nature.
- University of Southern Brittany. (2023). Press release on Moroccan footprint discovery.
- Live Science. (2023). Interview with Mouncef Sedrati on North African human footprints.
- Baylor University. (n.d.). Definition of optically stimulated luminescence dating techniques.
