Lithic reduction sequences as an aid to the analysis of Late Stone Age quartz assemblages from the Luano Spring, Chingola, Zambia

This paper describes Late Stone Age assemblages of quartz tools and debitage from sites near Luano Hot Spring, Chingola, Zambia. Formal tools at the Luano rock shelter site suggest a ‘Nachikufan II’ to ‘Nachikufan III’ sequence according to the traditional terminology. However, analysis of the debitage demonstrates that all levels of the site represent a single Late Stone Age technological tradition. Differences in formal tool frequencies at this site are better explained as activity facies. The implications of these results for our understanding of local Late Stone Age-Iron Age contacts are discussed.