Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa

Abstract

Three new Pleistocene hominin tracksites have been identified on the Cape south coast of South Africa, one in the Garden Route National Park and two in the Goukamma Nature Reserve, probably dating to Marine Isotope Stage 5. As a result, southern Africa now boasts six hominin tracksites, which are collectively the oldest sites in the world that are attributed to Homo sapiens. The tracks were registered on dune surfaces, now preserved in aeolianites. Tracks of varying size were present at two sites, indicating the presence of more than one trackmaker, and raising the possibility of family groups. A total of 18 and 32 tracks were recorded at these two sites, respectively. Ammoglyphs were present at one site. Although track quality was not optimal, and large aeolianite surface exposures are rare in the region, these sites prove the capacity of coastal aeolianites to yield such discoveries, and they contribute to what remains a sparse global hominin track record. It is evident that hominin tracks are more common in southern Africa than was previously supposed.

Possible Pleistocene hominin tracks from South Africa’s west coast

“…6,7 An approach to the identification of southern African hominin tracks has been developed and refined. 9,14 Applying these principles to the features described here facilitates their evaluation, while recognising that they apply more to well-preserved tracks in suitable substrates than to the tracks described here.…”

“…Nonetheless, similarity to natural cast hominin tracks on the Cape south coast is apparent. 9 The Langebaan tracks identified by Roberts in 1995 ('Eve's footprints') were recovered and are housed in the Iziko South Africa Museum, Cape Town. 3 Roberts described three natural mould tracks, in a right-leftright sequence, with displacement rims, and attributed them to Homo sapiens.…”

“…The quality of preservation and lack of morphological detail are consistent with many other Pleistocene tracksites on the Cape coast, where tracks were registered on unconsolidated dune substrates. 9 Dedicated exploration of aeolianite surfaces (preferably free of graffiti) in the area, in search of tracks of unequivocal hominin origin, would be valuable.…”

“…8 No further fossil tracks have been reported in the subsequent quarter-century, although there have been a number of Cape south coast hominin tracksite discoveries. 9,10 . Unfortunately, modern graffiti on aeolianite surfaces in the Langebaan area occurs in abundance, and such graffiti abutted the trackway identified by Roberts 3 .…”

Protecting and preserving South African aeolianite surfaces from graffiti

“…At another site, in Goukamma Nature Reserve (Helm et al 2020b:1-13), graffiti (Figure 1c) has been observed within a few metres of a hominin tracksite. Graffiti in the shape of letters and hearts may be readily identifiable as such, but abstract or older examples have the potential to create identification challenges in the interpretation of such sites, which we regard as an unwelcome intrusion.…”