ðɪ ˈɛɹiəz pˌæliːˌoʊnθɹəpəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl sɪɡnˈɪfɪkəns wʌz aɪdˈɛntᵻfˌaɪd baɪ tˈeɪəb ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti z, ˈæftɚ dʒˌɪəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl wˈɜːk bɪɡˈæn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi ˈeɪt.
The area's palaeoanthropological significance was identified by Taieb in the 1960s, after geological work began in 1938.