Umhlatuzana is an important archaeological site for the study of the Middle and Pleistocene Later Stone Age in South Africa with a largely continuous occupation sequence spanning MIS 4-2 (~70,000 -... Show moreUmhlatuzana is an important archaeological site for the study of the Middle and Pleistocene Later Stone Age in South Africa with a largely continuous occupation sequence spanning MIS 4-2 (~70,000 - 10,000 BP). The main technocomplexes represented are Still Bay, Howiesons Poort, Sibudan, final MSA and Robberg (from old to young). Changing selection of raw materials is an important issue in the study of the Middle-to-Later Stone Age transition that appears characterised by a shift in raw material use in addition to a technological organisation. Umhlatuzana was first excavated in 1975 by Jonathan Kaplan who suggested that the lithic assemblage of the Pleistocene deposits consisted mainly of quartz (61%), hornfels (37.6%), and quartzite (1.4%) (Kaplan 1990). Renewed excavations at the site were conducted during 2018 and 2019. This campaign aims to clarify the site’s formation processes employing micromorphological analysis and other techniques (Reidsma et al. 2021, Sifogeorgaki et al. 2020). Micromorphology uses thin sections of undisturbed sediment samples for microscopic studies. The sections allow a petrological inspection of rock fragments embedded in the deposits. Rather unexpectedly, the Umhlatuzana thin sections yield different raw material determinations than Kaplan (1990). While quartz and hornfels are present (around 23% and 25% respectively), they represent a much less sizable proportion than previously reported. Instead, the most prominent raw material observed is a quartz arenite sandstone (42%). Quartzite fragments were not detected.We therefore initiated an in-depth mineralogical and elemental classification of the raw materials. We distinguish 6 raw material types based on the thin section analysis: sandstone, quartz, hornfels, dolerite, chert and diorite. We then determined the elemental composition of the raw material types of the micromorphology samples using p-XRF. Additionally, p-XRF analysis was conducted on c. 100 specimens from the 2018-2019 excavation lithic collection. This allowed us to determine elemental characteristics of the raw materials used during the Pleistocene occupation of the site. Subsequently, p-XRF analysis was systematically performed on a larger sample set of lithics from the site in order to correctly determine their raw material type. The combination of micromorphological and p-XRF analysis of the Umhlatuzana assemblages demonstrates that if only visual inspection is done, the variability of raw materials used may be misinterpreted and the relative frequency of different rock types in an assembly may be over- or underestimated. Future work will aim at re-visiting the raw material categorization of artefacts excavated during the 1975 excavations. Show less
Murungi, M.; Esteban, I.; Sifogeorgakis, E.; Dusseldorp, G.L. 2021
The period between ~40 and 20 ka BP encompassing the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) transition has long been of interest because of the associated technological change.... Show moreThe period between ~40 and 20 ka BP encompassing the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) transition has long been of interest because of the associated technological change. Understanding this transition in southern Africa is complicated by the paucity of archaeological sites that span this period. With its occupation sequence spanning the last ~70,000 years, Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter is one of the few sites that record this transition. Umhlatuzana thus offers a great opportunity to study past environmental dynamics from the Late Pleistocene (MIS 4) to the Late Holocene, and past human subsistence strategies, their social organisation, technological and symbolic innovations. Although organic preservation is poor (bones, seeds, and charcoal) at the site, silica phytoliths preserve generally well throughout the sequence. These microscopic silica particles can identify different plant types that are no longer visible at the site because of decomposition or burning to a reliable taxonomical level. Thus, to trace site occupation, plant resource use, and in turn reconstruct past vegetation, we applied phytolith analyses to sediment samples of the newly excavated Umhlatuzana sequence. We present results of the phytolith assemblage variability to determine change in plant use from the Pleistocene to the Holocene and discuss them in relation to taphonomical processes and human plant gathering strategies and activities. This study ultimately seeks to provide a palaeoenvironmental context for modes of occupation and will shed light on past human-environmental interactions in eastern South Africa. Show less
The Dutch wetlands witness the gradual adoption of Neolithic novelties by foraging societies during the Swifterbant period. Recent analyses provide new insights into the subsistence palette of... Show moreThe Dutch wetlands witness the gradual adoption of Neolithic novelties by foraging societies during the Swifterbant period. Recent analyses provide new insights into the subsistence palette of Middle Swifterbant societies. Small-scale livestock herding and cultivation are in evidence at this time, but their importance if unclear. Within the framework of PAGES Land-use at 6000BP project, we aim to translate the information on resource exploitation into information on land-use that can be incorporated into global climate modelling efforts, with attention for the importance of agriculture. A reconstruction of patterns of resource exploitation and their land-use dimensions is complicated by methodological issues in comparing the results of varied recent investigations. Analyses of organic residues in ceramics have attested to the cooking of aquatic foods, ruminant meat, porcine meat, as well as rare cases of dairy. In terms of vegetative matter, some ceramics exclusively yielded evidence of wild plants, while others preserve cereal remains. Elevated δ15N values of human were interpreted as demonstrating an important aquatic component of the diet well into the 4th millennium BC. Yet recent assays on livestock remains suggest grazing on salt marshes partly accounts for the human values. Finally, renewed archaeozoological investigations have shown the early presence of domestic animals to be more limited than previously thought. We discuss the relative importance of exploited resources to produce a best-fit interpretation of changing patterns of land-use during the Middle Swifterbant phase. Our review combines recent archaeological data with wider data on anthropogenic influence on the landscape. Combining the results of plant macroremains, information from pollen cores about vegetation development, the structure of faunal assemblages, and finds of arable fields and dairy residue, we suggest the most parsimonious interpretation is one of a limited land-use footprint of cultivation and livestock keeping in Dutch wetlands between 4600 and 3900 BCE. Show less
The causes of Neanderthal disappearance about 40,000 years ago remain highly contested. Over a dozen serious hypotheses are currently endorsed to explain this enigmatic event. Given the relatively... Show moreThe causes of Neanderthal disappearance about 40,000 years ago remain highly contested. Over a dozen serious hypotheses are currently endorsed to explain this enigmatic event. Given the relatively large number of contending explanations and the relatively large number of participants in the debate, it is unclear how strongly each contender is supported by the research community. What does the community actually believe about the demise of Neanderthals? To address this question, we conducted a survey among practicing palaeo-anthropologists (total number of respondents = 216). It appears that received wisdom is that demography was the principal cause of the demise of Neanderthals. In contrast, there is no received wisdom about the role that environmental factors and competition with modern humans played in the extinction process; the research community is deeply divided about these issues. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that palaeo-anthropologists’ stand in the debate co-varies with their socio-political views and attitudes. We found no evidence for such a correlation. Show less
Archeologisch onderzoek heeft soms wel wat weg van een murder mystery. Vrijwel de gehele prehistorie, op de laatste 40.000 jaar na, leefden er meerdere mensensoorten tegelijk. Ze leefden ook vaak... Show moreArcheologisch onderzoek heeft soms wel wat weg van een murder mystery. Vrijwel de gehele prehistorie, op de laatste 40.000 jaar na, leefden er meerdere mensensoorten tegelijk. Ze leefden ook vaak in hetzelfde gebied. En de stenen werktuigen die we opgraven, zien er meestal vrij eender uit. Hoe weten we nu wie die werktuigen maakten? Met mijn Zuid-Afrikaanse collega Marlize Lombard heb ik een onderzoek gepubliceerd waarin we een aanpak voor dit soort raadsels ontwikkelen. We doen dat aan de hand van een net ontdekte Zuid-Afrikaanse mensensoort. Show less
We develop a framework to differentiate the technological niches of co-existing hominin species by reviewing some theoretical biases influential in thinking about techno-behaviours of extinct... Show moreWe develop a framework to differentiate the technological niches of co-existing hominin species by reviewing some theoretical biases influential in thinking about techno-behaviours of extinct hominins, such as a teleological bias in discussing technological evolution. We suggest that some stone-tool classification systems underestimate technological variability, while overestimating the complexity of the behaviours most commonly represented. To model the likely technological niches of extinct populations, we combine ecological principles (i.e. competitive exclusion) with physical anthropology and the archaeological record. We test the framework by applying it to the co-existence of Homo naledi and Homo sapiens during the late Middle Pleistocene in southern Africa. Based on our analysis, we suggest that tool use was probably not an essential part of H. naledi’s niche, but that technology occasionally provided caloric benefits. In contrast, tool use was a structural part of the H. sapiens way of life. We provide reasoning for our interpretation that the latter population is associated with more sophisticated reduction strategies and the development of prepared core technology. The method also has applicability to cases such as the co-existence of different toolmakers during the Earlier Stone Age (ESA) in East Africa and the co-existence of Neanderthals and H. sapiens in Eurasia. Show less
