Excavations at Mlambalasi Rockshelter: a Terminal Pleistocene to Recent Iron Age Record in Southern Tanzania

Biittner, Katie; Sawchuk, Elizabeth A.; Miller, Jennifer; Werner, J. Jeffrey; Bushozi, Pastory; Willoughby, Pamela R.

doi:10.1007/s10437-017-9253-3

Cited by 23 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…The presence of MSA and LSA artifacts is consistent with our new chronology for Kisese II compared to other East African sites considered to sample both MSA and LSA deposits (reviewed in [ 3 ]). The most relevant comparisons are sites with relatively long stratigraphic sequences from similar environmental settings, particularly Nasera [ 8 , 17 , 104 , 105 ] and Mumba [ 17 , 18 , 21 , 85 , 105 – 107 ] in northern Tanzania and multiple sites at Lukenya Hill in southern Kenya [ 15 , 86 , 108 , 109 ], but also Enkapune ya Muto (Kenya) [ 92 ], Mlambalasi and Magubike (Tanzania) [ 19 , 110 ], and perhaps Magosi (Uganda) [ 16 , 111 , 112 ] ( Fig 1 ). We restrict our discussion of the Kisese II lithic material to general statements about temporal trends, summarized in Fig 6 , and emphasize the presence, more than the absence, of particular raw materials, types, or technologies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Sites), Tanzania

et al. 2018

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The archaeology of East Africa during the last ~65,000 years plays a central role in debates about the origins and dispersal of modern humans, Homo sapiens. Despite the historical importance of the region to these discussions, reliable chronologies for the nature, tempo, and timing of human behavioral changes seen among Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) archaeological assemblages are sparse. The Kisese II rockshelter in the Kondoa region of Tanzania, originally excavated in 1956, preserves a ≥ 6-m-thick archaeological succession that spans the MSA/LSA transition, with lithic artifacts such as Levallois and bladelet cores and backed microliths, the recurrent use of red ochre, and >5,000 ostrich eggshell beads and bead fragments. Twenty-nine radiocarbon dates on ostrich eggshell carbonate make Kisese II one of the most robust chronological sequences for understanding archaeological change over the last ~47,000 years in East Africa. In particular, ostrich eggshell beads and backed microliths appear by 46–42 ka cal BP and occur throughout overlying Late Pleistocene and Holocene strata. Changes in lithic technology suggest an MSA/LSA transition that began 39–34.3 ka, with typical LSA technologies in place by the Last Glacial Maximum. The timing of these changes demonstrates the time-transgressive nature of behavioral innovations often linked to the origins of modern humans, even within a single region of Africa.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Sites), Tanzania

et al. 2018

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“…While no hominin remains have been found at Isimila, the region preserves an extensive archaeological sequence ranging from the Middle Pleistocene to the Iron Age. 18 As such, Isimila and the broader region provide a unique window into hominin behaviour, ecology and palaeoenvironments at a critical time period in human evolution and more recent human history. (Figure 4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerial map demonstrates erosional patterns and changing topography at Isimila, Tanzania (with corrigendum)

Bergstrom¹,

Lawrence²,

Pelissero³

et al. 2019

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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Phenological shifts represent one of the most robust bioindicators of climate change. While considerable multidecadal records of plant and animal phenology exist for the northern hemisphere, few noteworthy records are available for the southern hemisphere. We present one of the first phenological records of fish migration for the southern hemisphere, and one of the only phenological records for the southwest Indian Ocean. The so-called ‘sardine run’ – an annual winter migration of sardines, northeast of their summer spawning grounds on the Agulhas Bank off the coast of Durban, South Africa – has been well documented in local newspapers given the importance placed on fishing and fishing-tourism in the region. An analysis of the first arrival dates of sardines reveals a 1.3 day per decade delay over the period 1946–2012. Although this phenological shift reveals a poor association with sea surface temperatures (SST), it coincides with a poleward shift in the position of the 21 °C mean annual SST isotherm – the threshold temperature for sardine populations. The timing of sardine arrivals near Durban corresponds closely with the number of mid-latitude cyclones passing over the Durban coastline during the months of April and May. The strength of the run is strongly associated with ENSO conditions. The complex suite of factors associated with this phenological shift poses challenges in accurately modelling the future trajectory for this migratory event.

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“…Border Cave). Further excavations at Magubike and at related sites in Iringa [ 80 , 81 ] should help clarify the status of these MSA teeth and will perhaps provide other fossil human material.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle Stone Age human teeth from Magubike rockshelter, Iringa Region, Tanzania

et al. 2018

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In 2006, six isolated hominin teeth were excavated from Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits at the Magubike rockshelter in southern Tanzania. They comprise two central incisors, one lateral incisor, one canine, one third premolar, and one fourth premolar. All are fully developed and come from the maxilla. None of the teeth are duplicated, so they may represent a single individual. While there is some evidence of post-depositional alteration, the morphology of these teeth clearly shares features with anatomically modern Homo sapiens. Both metric and non-metric traits are compared to those from other African and non-African dental remains. The degree of biological relatedness between eastern and southern African Stone Age hunter-gatherers has long been a subject of interest, and several characteristics of the Magubike teeth resemble those of the San of southern Africa. Another notable feature is that the three incisors are marked on the labial crown by scratches that are much coarser than microwear striations. These non-masticatory scratches on the Magubike teeth suggest that the use of the front teeth as tools included regularly repeated activities undertaken throughout the life of the individual. The exact age of these teeth is not clear as ESR and radiocarbon dates on associated snail shells give varying results, but a conservative estimate of their minimum age is 45,000 years.

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Excavations at Mlambalasi Rockshelter: a Terminal Pleistocene to Recent Iron Age Record in Southern Tanzania

Abstract: The Mlambalasi rockshelter in the Iringa

Cited by 23 publications

References 87 publications

Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Sites), Tanzania

Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Sites), Tanzania

Aerial map demonstrates erosional patterns and changing topography at Isimila, Tanzania (with corrigendum)

Middle Stone Age human teeth from Magubike rockshelter, Iringa Region, Tanzania

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