Revisiting Umhlatuzana rockshelter, KwaZulu-Natal: First results and perspectives of a geoarchaeological study

Abstract

Umhlatuzana is an important site for the study

of modern behavior during the Middle and Later Stone Age in South Africa. The

site was excavated in the 1980s by Jonathan Kaplan, who observed a complex Pleistocene

stratigraphy and suggested that the sequence may have been impacted by sediment movement. The site formation is poorly understood with a lack of clear sedimentary boundaries in the Pleistocene deposits. In 2018, a high-resolution geoarchaeological study of the site was initiated. We re-excavated part of the site applying state-of-the-art methods and techniques designed to clarify the stratigraphy and the archaeological context. We present the results of our field observations, complemented by an evaluation of the recorded find density to reveal diachronic changes in the character of occupation. We suggest that the Pleistocene Later Stone Age occupations at the site may have been characterized by a low occupation intensity. With a clearer stratigraphic understanding of the site, we plan to study the archaeological materials and assess whether the existing collections are representative. Additional geoarchaeological analyses are underway to address outstanding questions on the stratigraphic integrity of the site.