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This article presents the results of research carried out at two previously unreported Eastern Desert Atbara River project (EDAR) Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites—EDAR 134 and EDAR 155. Luminescence dating results indicate human activity in this area during the Marine Isotope Stage 5 period (MIS 5), approximately 90 kya. Discussion concerning the affiliation of both analyzed inventories will be provided, including another MSA site from the EDAR area, where an assemblage dated to MIS 6/5e does not have technological features known from other technocomplexes in the eastern Sahara region (EDAR 135). Microscopic analysis of traces of tool use for the EDAR 155 assemblage shows the high impact of post-depositional (aeolian) processes on the state of preservation of lithic material. Sites EDAR 134 and 155 provide evidence for hominin activity during the late Pleistocene within an area only episodically accessible, due to arid conditions prevailing in the Saharan deserts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our species and other hominins have used earth mineral pigments since at least ~500,000 years ago, if not earlier. Its preservation and ubiquity within archaeological records across sub-Saharan Africa are well documented, but regional-scale networks of mineral selection, mining, transport, and use is an underdeveloped field. Here, we present a framework for interpreting regional variations within an overarching ochre-behavioral community of practice. Deep-time records of ochre provisioning span the final Middle Stone Age and Late Stone Age in modern day Eswatini, revealing longstanding cultural continuities in the intergenerational transmission of shared knowledge on landscapes, geology, and the desired physicochemical properties of mineral pigments. These communities of practice did not develop in isolation, and were part of a wider system of relations that were influenced and mediated by social interactions, such as technological learning, seasonal traveling, material culture exchange, and symbolic expression. We use compositional analyses to determine localized ochre procurement strategies and long-distance transport across a network of fifteen archaeological sites and mineral resources. Newly refined chronologies from Lion Cavern at Ngwenya using optically stimulated luminescence dating also reaffirm its antiquity as the oldest known evidence for intensive ochre mining worldwide (~48,000 years ago). Mineral pigments have been used by humans and human ancestors for at least 500 thousand years. Here, the authors document ochre provisioning in Middle and Late Stone Age Eswatini, demonstrate the presence of transport networks across 15 sites, and suggest that Lion Cavern is the oldest intensive ochre mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a series of 12 OSL/IRSL dates that revise and complete the chronology of the important Middle (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) site Umbeli Belli in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These dates shift the previous radiometric ages thousands of years older than earlier measurements and play a key role in revising the cultural stratigraphy of KwaZulu-Natal. We also discuss how these dates bring the chrono- and cultural stratigraphy of southern Africa into clearer focus. The Robberg sequence of Umbeli Belli is now firmly dated to 21 ± 2 ka, whereas the preceding Early LSA assemblage dates to ~32 ka, representing one of the earliest dates for this cultural expression in the broader region. The final MSA assemblages from Layer 7 to 9 now date to between 35 ka and 40 ka, overlapping more tightly with comparable assemblages from Sibhudu, Umhlatuzana and other sites. Layer 10, which was previously also assigned to the final MSA, now dates to ~47-54 ka, placing the assemblage within the temporal range of the Late MSA. The new dates provide a good explanation for the clear differences in material culture between Layer 10 and the younger layers. We also present two new ages for the deeper horizons 11b and 12 at Umbeli Belli, dating to 76 ± 9 ka and 80 ± 9 ka, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Umhlatuzana rockshelter is known for its continuous record of Middle and Later Stone Age lithic assemblages. This study presents multiproxy geoarchaeological data (micromorphology, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy) to reconstruct the depositional and post‐depositional history of the site. Although the Stone Age deposits macroscopically appear homogeneous, micromorphological analysis reveals the existence of primary, unaltered depositional microlayering throughout the sequence. Sediments related to combustion activities on‐site are observed in both the Holocene and Pleistocene deposits. Post‐depositional geochemical alterations result in the formation of several phosphatic minerals that significantly affect the site's preservation conditions. One of those is vashegyite, a rare magnesium phosphate mineral related to acidic and moist sedimentary environments. Bioturbation features are prominent at the microscale, but sediment mixing does not seem to affect the vertical distribution of the artifacts. The observation of horizontal microlayering in both the Pleistocene and Holocene illuminates the dominant mechanism of sedimentation throughout the site's 70,000‐year occupational history. It moreover shows that the lithics can be analysed as coherent assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of cultural dynamics at work at the end of the Final Pleistocene in West Africa suffers from a significant lack of excavated and dated sites, particularly in the Sahelian and Sudanian ecozones. While the Later Stone Age shows varied behavioral developments in different parts of the continent, the chrono-cultural framework of this period remains largely unknown in West Africa. We report on archaeological, geomorphological, and chronological research on two Final Pleistocene Later Stone Age sites in the Falémé Valley, eastern Senegal. Optically stimulated luminescence ages place the site of Toumboura I-2017 between 17 ± 1 and 16 ± 1 ka and the Ravin de Sansandé site between 13 ± 1 ka and 12 ± 1.1 ka. The excavated lithics show typical Later Stone Age industries, characterized by chaînes opératoires of core reduction mainly producing flakes and bladelets as well as blades and laminar flakes. Segments dominate the toolkits but a few backed bladelets and end-scrapers on flake blanks were recognized. Local raw materials were used, with a preference for chert and quartz, as well as greywacke. These Later Stone Age lithic assemblages are the oldest known in Senegal so far and add to the small number of sites known in West Africa for this period, which are mainly located farther south, in sub-tropical ecozones. The Later Stone Age sites of the Falémé Valley are contemporaneous with typical Middle Stone Age technologies in Senegal dated to at least the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Our results thus provide new archaeological evidence highlighting the complex cultural processes at work during the Final Pleistocene in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Stone Age, the collection of specific rocks was the first step in tool making. Very little is known about the choices made during tool-stone acquisition. Were choices governed by the knowledge of, and need for, specific properties of stones? Or were the collected raw materials a mere by-product of the way people moved through the landscape? We investigate these questions in the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa, analyzing the mechanical properties of tool-stones used at the site Diepkloof Rock Shelter. To understand knapping quality, we measure flaking predictability and introduce a physical model that allows calculating the relative force necessary to produce flakes from different rocks. To evaluate their quality as finished tools, we investigate their resistance during repeated use activities (scraping or cutting) and their strength during projectile impacts. Our findings explain tool-stone selection in two emblematic periods of the MSA, the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort, as being the result of a deep understanding of these mechanical properties. In both cases, people chose those rocks, among many others, that allowed the most advantageous trade-off between anticipated properties of finished tools and the ease of acquiring rocks and producing tools. The implications are an understanding of African MSA toolmakers as engineers who carefully weighed their choices taking into account workability and the quality of the tools they made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prehistoric chewed pitch has proven to be a useful source of ancient DNA, both from humans and their microbiomes. Here we present the metagenomic analysis of three pieces of chewed pitch from Huseby Klev, Sweden, that were dated to 9,890–9,540 before present. The metagenomic profile exposes a Mesolithic oral microbiome that includes opportunistic oral pathogens. We compared the data with healthy and dysbiotic microbiome datasets and we identified increased abundance of periodontitis-associated microbes. In addition, trained machine learning models predicted dysbiosis with 70–80% probability. Moreover, we identified DNA sequences from eukaryotic species such as red fox, hazelnut, red deer and apple. Our results indicate a case of poor oral health during the Scandinavian Mesolithic, and show that pitch pieces have the potential to provide information on material use, diet and oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genomic landscape of Stone Age Europe was shaped by multiple migratory waves and population replacements, but different regions do not all show similar patterns. To refine our understanding of the population dynamics before and after the dawn of the Neolithic, we generated and analyzed genomic sequence data from human remains of 56 individuals from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Eneolithic across Central and Eastern Europe. We found that Mesolithic European populations formed a geographically widespread isolation-by-distance zone ranging from Central Europe to Siberia, which was already established 10,000 years ago. We found contrasting patterns of population continuity during the Neolithic transition: people around the lower Dnipro Valley region, Ukraine, showed continuity over 4000 years, from the Mesolithic to the end of the Neolithic, in contrast to almost all other parts of Europe where population turnover drove this cultural change, including vast areas of Central Europe and around the Danube River. Genome-wide sequencing of 56 ancient hunter-gatherer and early farmer individuals from Stone Age Central and Eastern Europe reveals striking population continuity in the east in contrast to central Europe that displays extensive admixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between Earlier Stone Age (ESA) hominins and the southern African coastal environment has been poorly investigated, despite the high concentration of open-air sites in marine and fluvial terraces of the coastal plain from c. 1Ma onward during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. Southern Africa provides some of the earliest evidence of coastal subsistence strategies since the end of the Middle Pleistocene, during the Middle Stone Age (MSA). These coastal MSA sites showcase the role of coastal environments in the emergence and development of modern human behaviors. Given the high prevalence of coastal ESA sites throughout the region, we seek to question the relationship between hominins and coastal landscapes much earlier in time. In this regard, the +100 m raised beaches of the Benguela Province, Angola, are key areas as they are well-preserved and contain a dense record of prehistoric occupation from the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene, including sites like Dungo, Mormolo, Sombreiro, Macaca and Punta das Vacas. Accordingly, this paper provides a critical review of the coastal ESA record of southern Africa and a detailed presentation of the Dungo IV site, through a qualitative technological analysis coupled with a quantitative inter-site comparison with contemporary southern African coastal plain sites. Through our detailed technological analyses, we highlight the influence of coastal lithological resources on the technical behaviors of hominin groups, and we propose the existence of a "regional adaptive strategy" in a coastal landscape more than 600 000 years ago. Finally, we argue for the integration of coastal landscapes into hominins' territories, suggesting that adaptation to coastal environments is actually a slower process which begins with "territorialization" well before the emergence and development of Homo sapiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major contribution of this book is the significant integration of the northern Yoruba polities into the historical analysis of the Yoruba, espousing their connections and relevance in Yoruba history. The Yoruba: A New History by Akinwunmi Ogundiran I The Yoruba: A New History i is divided into five sections, with ten chapters covering political, economic, social, and religious themes across the same 2000-year period of Yoruba history. Ogundiran's focus on the lived experiences of the Yoruba highlights the roles of everyday people in the many political, economic, and sociocultural shifts that occurred in the long history of the Yoruba. [Extracted from the article]

The Middle Stone Age deposits at Sibudu contain sedge (Cyperaceae) nutlets, which previously have been interpreted as indirect evidence of bedding. Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify the sedge nutlets through comparison of archaeological specimens with modern analogues. The presence of nutlets of Cladium mariscus (L.) Pohl subsp. jamaicense (Crantz) Kük, a 1–3 m tall sedge with long scabrid leaves, was unexpected and challenges the bedding hypothesis because of the minute sharp hairs along the midrib and margins of the leaf blades. Nevertheless, we argue for the use of Cladium as bedding material, possibly as the foundation on which softer matter was laid. It is possible that the Cladium nutlets and rhizomes may have been eaten and that the plant was also used as kindling or fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the Nubian Levallois technology first recognized in northeastern Africa in the 1960s. Now, sites of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) Nubian Complex associated with Homo sapiens are known to occupy vast areas in northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Recently, proper Nubian Levallois technology has been recognized at sites in southern Africa and the southern part of the Eastern Mediterranean Levant as well. Here we report several sites with Nubian Levallois artefacts from central Syria, a Levantine region geographically closer to Arabia than Africa, where such technology had not been identified previously. The analyzed lithic assemblages share the same techno-typological characteristics. Technologically, they feature a newly recognized "developed Nubian Type 2-method, single-platform unidirectional convergent, Jerf Ajla/Qaltatype core" or shortly, "Jerf Ajla/Qalta-type Nubian" cores and method. This method was geared towards the serial production of pointed blades and Levallois points on blades in a single core reduction cycle. This differs from other Nubian core reduction methods, which tend to focus on producing a single pointed flake or Levallois point on a flake in each reduction cycle of a core. Typologically, the investigated Syrian assemblages are dominated by Upper Palaeolithic tool classes and types, especially endscrapers and burins. Besides the lithic data, these assemblages are assumed to be older than 33-36 uncal ka BP measured at the sites Jerf al-Ajla and Umm el-Tlel. We argue that central Syrian assemblages with Nubian methods can be dated to the transitional period between the Middle Palaeolithic or Middle Stone Age and the Upper Palaeolithic, more precisely, to the Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP). Thus, the developed character of the Jerf Ajla/Qalta-type Nubian cores does not only adds to the variability of the Nubian Levallois technology but also explains its absence in MSA locations in Africa and Arabia, and its presence in the IUP Levant. Accepting this, we propose the name "Jerf Ajla/Qalta industry" for these particular Nubian-related IUP assemblages and sites in central Syria. In doing so, a second IUP industry is now recognized by us in the Levant, in addition to the Early Emiran, known for its improved Nubian 1 method with opposed-platform cores and a new hunting projectile type, the Emireh point. Both IUP industries appeared in the Levant as a result of Homo sapiens migration with different Nubian-related knapping traditions from Africa and Arabia into the neighbouring Eastern Mediterranean Levant. The Early Emiran is considered to be a successful IUP industry in the Levant, as a predecessor of the IUP Late Emiran and Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) Early Ahmarian industries. Moreover, parts of the population carrying this industry even spread beyond southwestern Asia to other Eurasian regions, heralded by new IUP and EUP industries there. However, the Jerf Ajla/Qalta industry and its makers did not continue to survive in the Levant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estonian Journal of Archaeology is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Documenta Praehistorica is the property of Documenta Praehistorica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Current phyto-scapes (plant populations in their geo-spatial context) are not exact replicas of past foraging potential, yet they provide valuable data about the carrying capacity or potential of a foraging-scape. Knowledge about contemporary micro-ecologies and ethno-historical plant use can inform on behavioral aspects, should such plants be found in archaeological deposits. It is in this context that we explore existing information (data and literature) to establish the current vegetation types and micro-ecologies around Holley Shelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, that contains Middle and Later Stone Age occupations. We present the first plant species inventory consisting of > 1500 taxa growing approximately a day’s foraging distance from the site, compiled from records provided by the South African National Biodiversity Institute and other sources. From this list, we generated separate checklists for foodplants (n = 450) and plants that have other uses (n = 337), to gain insight into the site’s current phyto-fitness potential. The resulting database is intended as a modern proxy for future work on the site’s archaeo-botany and palaeo-climatic reconstructions. The data is also applicable to other sites on the Savanna/Grassland Biomes of southern Africa with records of the same species. Here we use the foodplant checklist and what is known about the edible plant parts, their seasonality and the distribution of some species to speculate about land-use patterns. These hypotheses can be tested for the past with future archaeo-botanical work. We demonstrate that, compared to archaeological sites in the Eastern and Western Cape for which comparable data exist, Holley Shelter is rich in foodplants, and especially so in plant foods that are known to buffer against famine during the periodical droughts of inland South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1952, Gordon Cramb published the first report on his excavations at Holley Shelter, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Although Cramb's work implied organic preservation associated with a unique stone tool assemblage from a Middle Stone Age (MSA) context, Holley Shelter disappeared from the archaeological landscape until 2015, when we provided a reinvestigation of the lithic assemblages from the 1950s. Our study indicated a tentative chronological framework around Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) for the human occupation of the site. However, Cramb's excavations did not produce reliable chronometric ages and the botanical and zoological finds from Holley Shelter remain for the most part unstudied. This is problematic as the site constitutes one of the few inland MSA rock shelters of KwaZulu-Natal featuring organic preservation. In 2022, 70 years after Cramb's first report, we started a new research project focusing on renewed excavations to obtain archaeological remains from a controlled stratigraphy, absolute chronometric ages and reliable data on the palaeoenvironment at the border between the coastal belt and the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. Here, we provide initial results from the first field campaign in 2022 on the stratigraphic sequence and archaeological finds and discuss their implications for future multidisciplinary research. Significance: • Environmental change can have a strong impact on hunter-gatherer behaviour, migration and technological choices. It is thus crucial to contextualise archaeological material with a strong palaeoenvironmental record. • The inland of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, represents an understudied region in terms of Stone Age archaeological sites and palaeoenvironmental record. • Holley Shelter is one of the few sites in South Africa with excellent organic preservation and a deep stratigraphic record, which provide a great opportunity to investigate human-landscape interaction and technological change throughout the Middle and Later Stone Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Changing Identity in a Changing World: Current Studies on the Stone Age around 4000 BCE" is a book edited by Daniel Groß and Mikael Rothstein that explores the transition from hunting-gathering to food production in northern Europe/southern Scandinavia. The book is based on the Femern project, a large-scale excavation project undertaken during the construction of the Femern Belt tunnel. It consists of 22 chapters that offer theoretical and geographic contexts to the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Denmark, with each chapter focusing on different datasets or adjacent regions. The book provides insights into social and physical changes, differences between Neolithic and Mesolithic cultures, and the variability in subsistence and material culture during this period. [Extracted from the article]

This article from the Journal of Asian Civilizations pays tribute to the contributions of Dr. Muhammad Salim, a Pakistani archaeologist known for his research on the palaeolithic cultures of Pakistan. The article provides a brief overview of Dr. Salim's education and career, including his time at the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization. It also lists a selected bibliography of his publications, which cover topics such as paleolithic surveys, soil analysis, handaxe collections, and the archaeology of specific regions in Pakistan. Dr. Salim's work has made significant contributions to the understanding of early human history in Pakistan. [Extracted from the article]

The foragers of the southern African Middle Stone Age were among the first humans to adapt their environment and its resources to their needs. They heat-treated stone to alter its mechanical properties, transformed yellow colorants into red pigments and produced moldable adhesive substances from plants. Until now, only Podocarpus conifers have been identified as the botanical origin of Middle Stone Age adhesives. This is curious as these conifers do not produce sticky exudations that could be recognized as potential adhesives. To obtain an adhesive, tar must be made with a technical process based on fire. However, the nature of these technical processes has remained unknown, hampering our understanding of the meaning of this adhesive technology for the cultural evolution of early Homo sapiens. Here, we present the first evidence of a technique used for tar making in the Middle Stone Age. We created an experimental reference collection containing naturally available adhesives along manufactured tars from plants available in the Middle Stone Age and compared these to artifacts using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. We found that, in the Howiesons Poort at Sibhudu Cave, tar was made by condensation, an efficient above-ground process. Even more surprisingly, the condensation method was not restricted to Podocarpus. The inhabitants of Sibhudu also produced tar from the leaves of other plants. These tars were then used, either without further transformation or were processed into ochre-based compound adhesives, suggesting that people needed different moldable substances with distinct mechanical properties. This has important implications for our understanding of Middle Stone Age H. sapiens , portraying them as skilled engineers who used and transformed their resources in a knowledgeable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central African Stone Age is very poorly known when compared to the higher-resolution records of East and Southern Africa. Early Stone Age (ESA) archaeology is effectively absent from the rainforest zone, with the early Middle Stone Age (MSA) Lupemban industry representing the earliest sustained archaeological signature. Uranium-series dates of approximately 265 ka BP for the Lupemban at Twin Rivers (Zambia), although queried, suggest a precocious late Middle Pleistocene dispersal of early Homo sapiens into the equatorial rainforest belt. Lupemban palaeohabitat interactions and attendant behavioural and technological repertoires are key to its evolutionary significance, but investigation is hampered by the widespread vertical disturbance of stratigraphic profiles and the formation of 'stone-lines'. The Lupemban takes in a range of implement types and technologies, including core-axes, prepared core technology (PCT) points, blades and backed blades. But it is the elongated bifacial lanceolate point—some exquisitely made and many exceeding 30 cm in length—that defines the industry. Remarkably, unequivocal examples of these iconic artefacts have never been the focus of detailed techno-typological scrutiny. In this paper, I advance understanding of the Lupemban by initiating a re-consideration of lanceolate points at Kalambo Falls, Zambia, and discuss their implications for the Lupemban's evolutionary significance. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since July 2013, the project D4 of the Collaborative Research Centre 806 at the University of Cologne has dealt with the Mesolithic in western Germany. During the first phase of this research, the primary tasks were to establish a regional chronology for the Middle Stone Age on the one hand, and the mapping of all known sites in the Rhineland and Westphalia regarding the different Mesolithic phases on the other. Since July 2017, the project has focused on mobility, cultural exchange, and human-environment interactions during the Final Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic in Central Europe. Due to the poor conditions of preservation, numerous Palaeolithic and Mesolithic assemblages only contain lithic artefacts. Communication networks and mobility patterns of the hunter-gatherer groups can be deduced from the raw material of these finds for a considerable number of sites. Apart from pottery, lithic artefacts and their resources also illustrate the social and economic networks during the Neolithic. The raw material of knapped artefacts and their potential geological sources offer important information relating to the project's goals. A map of the potential raw material sources for knapped artefacts in comparison with the archaeological finds is the basis for any suggestion about mobility patterns and communication networks. In general, information on geological lithic sources and the archaeological inventories in western Central Europe is far more detailed than for other regions. These data and all the information gathered on lithic raw material sources for western Germany and the Benelux countries allow us to provide a GIS-database using the software QGIS in the form of several maps and data tables with geological and archaeological information as well as detailed descriptions and references. One important result of this paper addresses the reconstruction of lithic raw material catchment areas. Three examples from younger Mesolithic sites show that the more precise petrographic method for identifying lithic raw materials results in much larger catchment areas than traditional macroscopic identification, leading to new considerations for estimating population densities during the later Middle Stone Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from the Earlier Stone Age (ESA) to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) in the interior of southern Africa is associated with the Fauresmith Industry. Major cultural developments found in the Fauresmith include regular use of ochre and other coloured minerals, prepared core technology including blade and point production, and the use of hafted spears. Chronological control for the Fauresmith is weak so that critical questions regarding the relationship of this industry to the evolution of modern humans remain unresolved. Here we present ages for the Bestwood 1 site, an open-air locality in the Northern Cape Province (South Africa) where an extensive Fauresmith occupation is found underlying sand deposits. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) was first applied to samples from the sands overlying the Bestwood 1 occupation horizon, and from the occupation horizon itself, in order to establish the chronology of the site. However, sediment mixing resulting from bioturbation processes has been observed, causing post-depositional bleaching of the majority of the grains, thus limiting the use of OSL. In addition, given the identification of the lithic assemblage to the Fauresmith, it seems likely that the sands were beyond the dating range of conventional OSL. Due to its hard-to-bleach properties, the thermally transferred-optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL) signal was deemed suitable for detecting the least-bleached grains. Single grain TT-OSL analyses combined with the finite mixture model (FMM) were conducted in order to isolate the oldest grains that could be contemporaneous with the time of deposition of the sediment associated with the ESA assemblage. High scattering of the equivalent doses is consistent with bioturbation processes that mixed sediment; the distribution of the equivalent dose values suggests that younger grains were incorporated into the ESA layers, thus supporting the use of the oldest component determined using the FMM to calculate the TT-OSL ages. This approach allowed us to establish the time for the Fauresmith occupation at 366 ± 32 ka, and the age of the overlying sand deposits, spanning from 350 ± 22 ka to 226 ± 13 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Africa has played a prominent role in debates about human evolution and dispersal due to the presence of rich archaeological, palaeoanthropological and palaeoenvironmental records. However, substantial disconnects occur between the spatial and temporal resolutions of these data that complicate their integration. Here, we apply high-resolution climatic simulations of two key parameters, mean annual temperature and precipitation, and a biome model, to produce a highly refined characterisation of the environments inhabited during the eastern African Middle Stone Age. Occupations are typically found in sub-humid climates and landscapes dominated by or including tropical xerophytic shrubland. Marked expansions from these core landscapes include movement into hotter, low-altitude landscapes in Marine Isotope Stage 5 and cooler, high-altitude landscapes in Marine Isotope Stage 3, with the recurrent inhabitation of ecotones between open and forested habitats. Through our use of high-resolution climate models, we demonstrate a significant independent relationship between past precipitation and patterns of Middle Stone Age stone tool production modes overlooked by previous studies. Engagement with these models not only enables spatiotemporally explicit examination of climatic variability across Middle Stone Age occupations in eastern Africa but enables clearer characterisation of the habitats early human populations were adapted to, and how they changed through time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a list of >100 publicly known late Quaternary proboscidean sites that have certain or possible traces of hominin utilization in Africa, Europe, and Asia, along with a sample of references, chronometric or estimated ages, and brief descriptions of the associated materials and bone modifications. Summary discussions of important sites are also presented. Lower Palaeolithic/Early Stone Age hominins created far fewer proboscidean site assemblages than hominins in later Palaeolithic phases, in spite of the time span being many times longer. Middle Palaeolithic/Middle Stone Age hominins created assemblages at eight times the earlier hominin rate. Upper Palaeolithic/Later Stone Age hominins created site assemblages at >90 times the rate of Lower Palaeolithic hominins. Palaeoloxodon spp. occur in nearly one third of the sites with an identified or probable proboscidean taxon and Mammuthus species are in nearly one half of the sites with identified or probable taxon. Other identified proboscidean genera, such as Elephas, Loxodonta, and Stegodon, occur in few sites. The sites show variability in the intensity of carcass utilization, the quantity of lithics bedded with bones, the extent of bone surface modifications, such as cut marks, the diversity of associated fauna, and mortality profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional archaeology in Lesotho was initiated 50 years ago when Pat Carter, working with Patricia Vinnicombe, excavated the site of Moshebi's Shelter in the Sehlabathebe Basin. His excavations there identified a sequence of both Middle and Later Stone Age (LSA) industries, the latter falling within the last 2200 years. However, the site was never fully published and Carter's use of 10-cm-thick spits to excavate its deposits raises questions about the precise stratigraphic provenance of the finds made. As part of renewed investigations into hunter-gatherer/farmer interactions in highland Lesotho, Moshebi's LSA deposits were re-excavated in 2009. This paper summarizes the results of the archaeological sequence recovered, their dating using both radiocarbon and OSL techniques, and their implications for past human use of the site and the wider Maloti-Drakensberg landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mumba rock-shelter and its surrounding landscape are places where evidences for the evolution of human cognitive behaviour and other cultural practices have been uncovered. Deep and stratified archaeological deposits recorded at Mumba have shown unique distinctive technological and behavioural traits with possible connections between Middle Stone Age (MSA), Later Stone Age (LSA), Neolithic, and Iron Age cultures. Archaeological records were found associated with symbolic-revealing objects such as ochre pigments, beads, and stone rubber stained with red ochre, which express the cognitive ability of ancestors who inhabited Mumba rock-shelter and the surrounding landscape from the MSA to the present. Ochre pigments are believed to be one of the ingredients for painted figures executed globally on Precambrian and gneiss rock-walls. Despite being a significant part of human intellectual achievements, the rock art images depicted at Mumba have been severely affected by physical weathering and anthropogenic actions. This paper explores the extent to which the rock art of Mumba reference cultural processes, conservation challenges, and prospects for future uses. The presented data were collected through in-depth documentation using modern analytical techniques such as ImageJ and Adobe Photoshop C5 softwares to trace the paintings. Two traditional systems of hunter-forager and Bantu speaking paintings were identified at Mumba. However, the conservation status of the rock art of Mumba is not ideal, which necessitates collective management approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeologia Lituana is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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The Western Periphery of the Red Sea (WPRS) is an important region for paleoanthropological discussions about the history of hominin dispersal out of Africa. This paper examines the existing Paleolithic evidence in the region and some key aspects of its environmental setting, with the goal of assessing its role in hominin survival and dispersals. The paper's chronological focus is the span 1.8–0.05 million years ago (Ma). Although the majority of the Paleolithic (Stone Age) sites so far documented in the region lack precise chronological control, the available evidence comprises Acheulean, Middle and Later Stone Age technocomplexes that can be broadly linked to distinct hominin settlement episodes. Most of the documented sites appear to be related to terrestrial niche exploitation around channelized alluvial plains between the coastal zone and the eastern slopes of the Red Sea Hills, although wave erosion may have destroyed sites associated with coastal resource use. As an extension of the East African Rift system, the WPRS mirrors the landscape features of the fossil-rich Rift Valley region, with the addition of a coastal niche. Thus, it may have posed little survival risk for hominins coming from the inland habitats, and some of the inhabitant populations may have easily dispersed toward Eurasia from there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the complex use of the term 'Sangoan' and its placement between the Early Stone Age (ESA) and Middle Stone Age (MSA) using data from Simba Hill in Sango Bay. The purpose is to examine whether the Sangoan is Acheulean, Middle Stone Age, or an independent lithic industry at Sango Bay. Four specific objectives guided the study: reviewing the Stone Age terminology, Sangoan lithic typology, technology, and environmental characteristics. A detailed literature review of the Stone Age nomenclature shows patterns and trends of the Sangoan terminology. At the same time, a combined lithic assemblage from the archaeological surface survey and excavation yielded heavy and light-duty lithic tools. The 13 sites identified within the 202.6km radius surveyed yielded 73 lithic artefacts, while the excavation unit yielded 1344 lithic artefacts. The results suggest that the Sangoan typology at Sango Bay has five general lithic categories of shaped tools, backed pieces, cores, and debitage. Typologically, the conventional Sangoan lithics at Sango Bay include lanceolates, picks, cleavers, discoids, becs, points and core axes. Technologically, the Levallois lithic reduction strategy characterises the Sangoan with unifacial and bifacial retouch and core technology elements. The toolmakers at Sango Bay used local raw materials, suggesting they were not highly mobile in terms of raw materials. Conclusively, therefore, the Sangoan is a transitional lithic industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holley Shelter is a Middle (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) site in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The rock shelter is located at the intersection of three ecosystems, in a strip of the Savanna Biome between the Grassland and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biomes. Initial excavations in the 1950s by Gordon Cramb yielded large amounts of unifacial points and splintered pieces, as well as organic remains associated with MSA occupations. Our comparative techno-typological evaluation of this material in 2015 suggested the occupations may date to early MIS 3. We then initiated new excavations at the site using modern field methods and controlled sampling for lithic and organic material. Following the initial round of interdisciplinary analysis, we herein report the first absolute ages for Holley Shelter, a detailed technological analysis of new lithic material from the uppermost MSA layers at the site, and a preliminary study of the associated faunal remains. A set of 12 14C dates place these occupations within a constricted chronological period dated to ∼36,000–34,000 cal. BP that overlaps with the so-called 'final MSA'. The hornfels-dominated lithic assemblages are characterized by diverse core technologies oriented toward the production of laminar products, which include bladelets and abundant splintered pieces. The zooarchaeological analysis documents an emphasis on open grasslands that provided the bulk of the animal prey exploited by the inhabitants of the shelter, with a preference for medium-sized antelopes. Three bone retouchers, a rare occurrence in southern African MSA contexts, were identified in the faunal assemblage. The archaeological deposits at Holley Shelter reflect short-term, potentially seasonal, and specialized occupations that could be influenced by its ecological position. The archaeological material exhibits marked discrepancies with other well-dated final MSA assemblages such as those from Sibhudu, Umbeli Belli, Sibebe and Border Cave. This illustrates considerable variability and a complex spatio-temporal patterning of behavioral adaptations and cultural traditions at the end of the MSA in southern Africa. • A set of 12 14C dates place these occupations at Holley Shelter between ∼36,000–34,000 cal. BP that overlaps with the so-called 'final MSA'. • The archaeological deposits reflect short-term, potentially seasonal, and specialized occupations that could be influenced by its ecological position. • The zooarchaeological analysis documents an emphasis on open grasslands. • The archaeological material exhibits marked discrepancies with other well-dated final MSA assemblages in the region. • The results illustrate considerable variability and a complex spatio-temporal patterning of behavioral adaptations and cultural traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans were regularly heat‐treating stone tool raw materials as early as 130,000 years ago. The late Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Late Stone Age (LSA) of South Africa's Western Cape region provides some of the earliest and most pervasive archaeological evidence for this behaviour. While archaeologists are beginning to understand the flaking implications of raw material heat treatment, its potential functional benefits remain unanswered. Using silcrete from the Western Cape region, we investigate the impact of heat treatment on stone tool cutting performance. We quantify the sharpness of silcrete in its natural, unheated form, before comparing it with silcrete heated in three different conditions. Results show that heat‐treated silcrete can be significantly sharper than unheated alternatives, with cutting forces halving and energy requirements reducing by approximately two‐thirds. The data suggest that silcrete may have been heat treated during the South African MSA and LSA to increase the sharpness and performance of stone cutting edges. This early example of material engineering has implications for understanding Stone Age populations' technological capabilities, inventiveness and raw material choices. We predict that heat‐treatment behaviours in other prehistoric and ethnographic contexts may also be linked to increases in edge sharpness and concerns about functional performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obsidian is abundant in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). Petrological and geochemical features of obsidian from four volcanic centers in the MER, namely Birenti, Dofen, Fentale and Kone, are presented. Compositional and petrological variability is noted among the Dofen and Fentale obsidian, but not in those from Kone and Birenti where each have separate but uniform elemental composition. The Fentale and Kone obsidian were source materials for the artifacts of a number of Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age/Neolithic sites in the region. We have yet to determine whether Dofen and Birenti were sources for archeological artifacts. The study also shows that volcanic episodes from a single center do not necessarily result in compositional variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphometric characters of Middle Stone Age stone artefacts from SW Fezzan (Libya, Central Sahara) are investigated. The raw data set is composed of illustrations of tanged pieces from surface scatters and from one stratified and dated site. Both metric and shape analyses are used. The first is carried out on the basis of maximum artefact width and tang width from the whole data set; the second adopts Elliptical Fourier descriptors obtained from 2D contours of tanged points. The geospatial analysis of morphometric variability in a regional perspective shows some meaningful variations between artefacts coming from "highland" and "lowland" physiographic contexts. While the latter encompass most of the regional variability, the former seem to show a narrower range of variation, which could depend on a number of reasons including diverse chronology of occupation, different technological traditions or ecological constraints. The general data patterning is here interpreted in the light of the hypothesis that the water resources kept by the mountainous areas also under environmental stress possibly allowed them to act as a refugium during the most arid phases of the late Pleistocene. An intense occupation of the lowlands during similar chronological time frames and environmental conditions is less likely because of an inferable lower carrying capacity. The regional artefacts' morphometric variability could thus mirror the population dynamics reconstructed so far for the study area: the record from the mountain ranges testifies for a residual occupation of humans skilled in arid survival, while the lowlands possibly hosted more varied population dynamics especially during cyclically earlier wetter conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasera Rockshelter hosts a highly continuous sedimentary record, containing a wide array of archaeological remains from Middle Stone Age, Later Stone Age and Pastoralist occupations. Excavated by L. Leakey and M. Mehlman, geological studies carried out by R. Hay included granulometric and general mineralogical analyses but lacked individualized, detailed description and interpretation of each of the 25 levels exposed. This study presents updated detailed geological descriptions and interpretations of 17 levels exposed during excavations in 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle to Later Stone Age transition marks a major change in how Late Pleistocene African populations produced and used stone tool kits, but is manifest in various ways, places and times across the continent. Alongside changing patterns of raw material use and decreasing artefact sizes, changes in artefact types are commonly employed to differentiate Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) assemblages. The current paper employs a quantitative analytical framework based upon the use of neural networks to examine changing constellations of technologies between MSA and LSA assemblages from eastern Africa. Network ensembles were trained to differentiate LSA assemblages from Marine Isotope Stage 3&4 MSA and Marine Isotope Stage 5 MSA assemblages based upon the presence or absence of 16 technologies. Simulations were used to extract significant indicator and contra-indicator technologies for each assemblage class. The trained network ensembles classified over 94% of assemblages correctly, and identified 7 key technologies that significantly distinguish between assemblage classes. These results clarify both temporal changes within the MSA and differences between MSA and LSA assemblages in eastern Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Chilena de Antropologia is the property of Universidad de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Stone Age archaeology records in the grasslands of the North West Province are sparse, although this region is situated between areas known for their Earlier Stone Age and Earlier to Middle Stone Age transitional lithic sites. We provide a field report on archaeological materials found during a survey at Barberspan, which attests to Earlier Stone Age lithic occurrences close to an open, permanent water source on a generally water-scarce landscape. Although more extensive surveys and analyses are needed, we suggest that our work is a critical first step in starting to map the presence of early human populations on this strategically located landscape, since it may provide insight into human presence/movement on the landscape between the known Earlier Stone Age localities. We also provide a tabulated summary of the Earlier Stone Age and Earlier to Middle Stone Age transitional sites of the greater landscape as a baseline for the current record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silcrete heat treatment, along with a suit of other innovations, have been used to argue for an early onset of modern or complex behaviours in Middle Stone Age hominins. This practice was confined to South Africa's southern and western Cape regions where it was continuously practised since the Still Bay industry. However, the exact moment that this technological advancement occurred still remains unclear. This is partly due to the scarcity of silcrete assemblages dating to the first half of the Middle Stone Age. To determine when silcrete heat treatment began to be well-established, we compare the silcrete assemblages from two archaeological sites situated along the south western coast of South Africa: Hoedjiespunt 1, one of the earliest Middle Stone Age silcrete assemblages dating to 119–130 ka, and Duinefontein 2, one of the latest Early Stone Age assemblages dating to 200–400 ka. Our results suggest that the invention of heat treatment occurred sometime between 130 ka and 200–400 ka, as it is still absent in the earlier assemblage but fully mastered and well-integrated in the recent one. This period corresponds to the time that Homo sapiens became the major hominin species in the southern African subcontinent and it is roughly the time that silcrete use became widespread in the second half of the Cape-coastal Middle Stone Age. This opens interesting new questions on the relation between silcrete use and heat treatment and on why early modern humans spontaneously invented heat treatment when they began using silcrete in the Cape region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is one of the best-studied regions in terms of Stone Age research in the last few decades. Considerable progress has been made, especially for the Middle Stone Age (MSA). Recently the late Pleistocene Later Stone Age (LSA) has come back into focus. However, there are still large understudied areas such as northeastern South Africa. Here we present the first data from an archaeological site containing late Pleistocene occupations associated with the Robberg techno-complex in this region. Iron Pig rock shelter provides a well-dated sequence spanning from >16000 cal BP to <9000 cal BP. A lithic analysis of the Robberg occupations of the lowermost layers 5 and 6 provided here implies gradual temporal shifts in technology indicating short-term changing traditions. A comparative review of other LSA sites in the wider region suggests considerable research gaps and the necessity of intensified work in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of feathers in ritual costumes and everyday clothing is well described in ethnographic sources throughout the world. From the same sources we know that bird wings and feathers were loaded with meaning in traditional societies worldwide. However, direct archaeological evidence of prehistoric use of feathers is still extremely scarce. Hence, feathers belong to the ‘missing majority’: items that are absent from the archaeological record but which we can assume to have been of importance. Here we present microscopic analysis of soil samples from hunter-gatherer burial contexts which reveal the first direct evidence of the use of feathers in the Mesolithic period of north-eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassridge rock shelter is located in the high elevation grassland foothills of the Stormberg Mountains in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This places Grassridge at an important biogeoclimatic intersection between the Drakensberg Mountains, the South African coastal zone, and the interior arid lands of southern Africa. First excavated in 1979, the approximately 1.5 m stratigraphic sequence was divided into two major occupational components: a 50-70 cm thick Later Stone Age component dating between 7-6 ka and an underlying 50-80 cm thick Middle Stone Age component dated to 36 ka at the base. Here we present a reanalysis of the Grassridge stratigraphic sequence that combines new optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon age estimates with sedimentological and microbotanical analyses to evaluate site formation processes and the palaeoenvironmental context of human occupations. Results indicate a complex history of geogenic, anthropogenic, and biogenic inputs to the depositional sequence that are interspersed with pulsed human occupation from 43-28 ka, 13.5-11.6 ka, and 7.3-6.8 ka. Microbotanical remains indicate a cooler, drier grassland environment in MIS 3 that transitions to a warmer, moister grassland environment dominated by summer rainfall in the middle of MIS 1. The pulsed occupational sequence identified at Grassridge is characteristic of the Pleistocene and Holocene record across the greater high elevation grassland region of South Africa, which, based on comparison with other currently available evidence, seems linked to a complex system of forager mobility entwined with rapidly fluctuating palaeoenvironments across the last glacial to interglacial transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the selection of rocks for Stone Age tools and the factors that influenced this selection. The authors analyzed stone tools found at a site in southern Africa and developed a physical model to estimate the force needed to shape the rocks and their strength during impact. The results suggest that Stone Age toolmakers had the engineering skills to create tools with desirable qualities. Another article focuses on enhancing the activity of cancer-fighting T cells, specifically targeting a protein variant to improve their function. The findings could inform the development of improved therapies. Additionally, the article explores how mating innovations in dragonflies can drive their access to new ecological niches. The presence of a waxy coating on males' bodies facilitates mating activities and also helps prevent water loss and overheating. Lastly, the article discusses the relative performance of different types of marine protected areas in safeguarding biodiversity while allowing for some fishing. [Extracted from the article]

Klipdrift Cave in the southern Cape, South Africa, provides new insights into shellfish harvesting during the Later Stone Age (14-9 ka) period associated with the Oakhurst techno-complex. Two shellfish species dominate: Turbo sarmaticus and Dinoplax gigas. An abrupt shift in the relative frequencies of these species occurs in the middle of the sequence with T. sarmaticus almost completely replacing D. gigas. The shift in dominant species is likely due to environmental change caused by fluctuating sea levels rather than change in sea surface temperatures. The shellfish assemblage shows that local coastal habitats at Klipdrift Cave were somewhat different from those of contemporaneous sites in the southern Cape. Although the shellfish specimens are smaller at Klipdrift Cave than those from Middle Stone Age localities such as Blombos Cave, there is no robust indication that larger human populations at Klipdrift Cave during the Oakhurst period might have caused this change in size. Environmental or ecological factors could have restricted shellfish growth rates as some experimental works have suggested, but this possibility also remains to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I present a summary of interests within a 40-year period (1977-2017) in the context of the following general topics: palaeoenvironments based on studies of terrestrial fauna, including multivariate analyses of the relative abundances of rodents, insectivores and ungulates; taphonomy, including the role of leopards as agents of accumulation in certain assemblages; marine molluscs as a reflection of changes in the occurrence of sandy or rocky shores, and as a reflection of the distance between cave and seashore; chronology; oxygen isotopes in marine shells, reflecting changes in sea level and palaeotemperature; Nassarius shell beads with perforations and ochre from Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits, identical to those from MSA contexts at Blombos Cave; human anatomy, including variability through time in the shape of dental arcades of Holocene and Late Pleistocene ('anatomically modern') Homo sapiens; and human behaviour, including a cut mark on the proximal end of a human ulna, associated with an embedded fragment of quartzite (potentially associated with defleshing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how former hunter-gatherers living along the southern North Sea coast in NW Europe adapted to long-term and short-term climatic and environmental changes at the beginning of the Holocene. It is argued that contemporaneous hunter-gatherers repeatedly changed their hunting equipment in response to changing climate and environment, not just for functional reasons but mainly driven by socio-territorial considerations. Based on a Bayesian analysis of 122 critically selected radiocarbon dates a broad chronological correlation is demonstrated between rapid changes in the design and technology of stone projectiles and short but abrupt cooling events, occurring at 10.3, 9.3 and 8.2 ka cal BP. Combined with the rapid sea level rises and increased wildfires these climatic events probably impacted the lifeways of hunter-gatherers in such a way that they increasingly faced resource stress and competition, forcing them to invest in the symbolic defense of their social territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]