The prehistoric site of Tighennif (formerly Ternifine) is located near Mascara, in Oranie (Algeria). It has yielded the oldest human fossils known to date in North Africa, dated to approximately 700,000 years, and an Acheulean-type lithic industry.

The site yielded numerous animal bones and a few human bones (3 mandibles, a parietal bone, and 9 isolated teeth), attributed to a new species by Camille Arambourg in 1954: Homo mauritanicus (or Atlanthropus mauritanicus).

Human fossils were dated to around 700,000 years old in 1986 by Denis Geraads, by analysis of the paleofauna, corroborated by paleomagnetism1.

The very large mandibles belonged to particularly robust men.