Technological successions in the Middle Stone Age sequence of Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Western Cape, South Africa

Porraz, Guillaume; Texier, Pierre-Jean; Archer, Will; Piboule, Michel; Rigaud, Jean‐Philippe; Tribolo, Chantal

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.02.012

Cited by 154 publications

(175 citation statements)

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“…Earlier MSA assemblages are heterogeneous, dominated by a diverse range of rock types but often quartzite, with knapping systems featuring the production of flakes, blades and convergent flakes (including levallois points and pseudo-points) Mackay, 2009;Porraz et al, 2013a;Steele et al, 2012;Thackeray, 2000;Thompson et al, 2010;Volman, 1980;Will et al, 2013;Wurz, 2002;Wurz, 2012). Linking these lithic assemblages is a paucity of retouched flakes, with denticulates perhaps being the most common form (Thompson and Marean, 2008;Volman, 1980;Will et al, 2013;Wurz, 2012).…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Linking these lithic assemblages is a paucity of retouched flakes, with denticulates perhaps being the most common form (Thompson and Marean, 2008;Volman, 1980;Will et al, 2013;Wurz, 2012). Earlier MSA assemblages are currently known from many sites in the WRZ/YRZ, including Cape St Blaize, Nelson Bay Cave, Klasies River, Blombos Cave, Pinnacle Point, Die Kelders, Peers Cave, Ysterfontein, Hoedjiespunt, Elands Bay Cave, Diepkloof, Hollow Rock Shelter and Klipfonteinrand (Avery, 1997;Avery et al, 2008;Högberg and Larsson, 2011;Mackay, 2009;Marean, 2010;Marean et al, 2007;Porraz et al, 2013a;Thompson and Marean, 2008;Volman, 1980;Will et al, 2013).…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

“…From approximately 75 ka, lithic technologies in the WRZ/YRZ shift to the production of bifacial points and an increased prevalence of fine-grained rock types is noted at some sites (Evans, 1994;Högberg and Larsson, 2011;Porraz et al, 2013a). Evidence for the use of pressure flaking has also been presented (Mourre et al, 2010).…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This period is known as the Still Bay industry. Still Bay assemblages have been identified at Blombos Cave, Peers Cave, Diepkloof, Hollow Rock Shelter Högberg and Larsson, 2011;Porraz et al, 2013a;Volman, 1980) and probably also open sites such as Soutfontein and Cape Hangklip Minichillo, 2005). We should note at this point that the ages for the start for the Still Bay at Diepkloof are contested.…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The stratigraphically subsequent industry, known as the Howiesons Poort, was believed to begin ~65 ka, implying a ~5 kyr hiatus after the Still Bay . Recent work at Diepkloof and Pinnacle Point, however, and most notably Diepkloof, suggests that the Howiesons Poort is complex and may have initiated in the later stages of the Still Bay (Porraz et al, 2013a). The backed artefacts and small blades produced from unipolar prepared cores which best characterise the Howiesons Poort appear in the last few bifacial point-bearing layers at Diepkloof, with dates extending to around 70 ka at both Diepkloof (in the Jacobs chronology) and Pinnacle Point 5/6 (Brown et al, 2012;.…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

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Putslaagte 1 (PL1), the Doring River, and the later Middle Stone Age in southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone

Mackay

Sumner

Jacobs

et al. 2014

Quaternary International

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Existing data suggest weak human occupation of southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone (WRZ) during later Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, the causes of which are unknown. Here we report briefly on the results of recent surveys of alluvial terrace sites of the Doring River in the WRZ, which document occupation over a broad expanse of the later Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Pleistocene Later Stone Age. We then report on test excavations at one terrace site, denoted Putslaagte site 1 (PL1), describe in detail the assemblage of flaked stone artefacts produced from that excavation, and present two OSL ages obtained from 0.8 m to 1.5 m below surface. The results suggest that a) artefact accumulations at PL1 are dense, b) the technological systems documented are characteristically MSA but differ in form from the range of systems known from other excavated sites in the region, and c) that the assemblages accumulated in MIS 3. Taken together with the survey data the results introduce new variation into the later MSA in southern Africa, and imply reorganisation of land use in the WRZ in late MIS 3 rather than abandonment. We suggest that a research emphasis on rock shelter deposits may have produced misleading depictions of regional occupation. AbstractExisting data suggest weak human occupation of southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone (WRZ) during later Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, the causes of which are unknown. Here we report briefly on the results of recent surveys of alluvial terrace sites of the Doring River in the WRZ, which document occupation over a broad expanse of the later Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Pleistocene Later Stone Age. We then report on test excavations at one terrace site, denoted Putslaagte site 1 (PL1), describe in detail the assemblage of flaked stone artefacts produced from that excavation, and present two OSL ages obtained from 0.8 m and 1.5 m below surface. The results suggest that a) artefact accumulations at PL1 are extremely dense, b) the technological systems documented are characteristically MSA but differ in form from the range of systems known from other excavated sites in the region, and c) that the assemblages accumulated in MIS 3. Taken together with the survey data the results introduce new variation into the later MSA in southern Africa, and imply reorganisation of land use in the WRZ in late MIS 3 rather than abandonment. We suggest that a research emphasis on rock shelter deposits may have produced misleading depictions of regional occupation.

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Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Late Pleistocene Archaeological Sequence In the Modern Wintementioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Putslaagte 1 (PL1), the Doring River, and the later Middle Stone Age in southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone

Mackay

Sumner

Jacobs

et al. 2014

Quaternary International

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Rethinking the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa

Groucutt

Petraglia

Bailey

et al. 2015

Evolutionary Anthropology

282

107

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Current fossil, genetic, and archeological data indicate that Homo sapiens originated in Africa in the late Middle Pleistocene. By the end of the Late Pleistocene, our species was distributed across every continent except Antarctica, setting the foundations for the subsequent demographic and cultural changes of the Holocene. The intervening processes remain intensely debated and a key theme in hominin evolutionary studies. We review archeological, fossil, environmental, and genetic data to evaluate the current state of knowledge on the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa. The emerging picture of the dispersal process suggests dynamic behavioral variability, complex interactions between populations, and an intricate genetic and cultural legacy. This evolutionary and historical complexity challenges simple narratives and suggests that hybrid models and the testing of explicit hypotheses are required to understand the expansion of Homo sapiens into Eurasia.

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Going big versus going small: Lithic miniaturization in hominin lithic technology

Pargeter

Shea

2019

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Lithic miniaturization was one of our Pleistocene ancestors' more pervasive stone tool production strategies and it marks a key difference between human and non‐human tool use. Frequently equated with “microlith” production, lithic miniaturization is a more complex, variable, and evolutionarily consequential phenomenon involving small backed tools, bladelets, small retouched tools, flakes, and small cores. In this review, we evaluate lithic miniaturization's various technological and functional elements. We examine archeological assumptions about why prehistoric stoneworkers engaged in processes of lithic miniaturization by making small stone tools, small elongated tools, and small retouched and backed tools. We point to functional differences that motivate different aspects of lithic miniaturization and several instances where archeological systematics have possibly led archeologists to false negative findings about lithic miniaturization. Finally, we suggest productive avenues by which archeologists can move closer to understanding the complex evolutionary forces driving variability in lithic miniaturization.

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Technological successions in the Middle Stone Age sequence of Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Western Cape, South Africa

Cited by 154 publications

References 40 publications

Putslaagte 1 (PL1), the Doring River, and the later Middle Stone Age in southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone

Putslaagte 1 (PL1), the Doring River, and the later Middle Stone Age in southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone

Rethinking the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa

Going big versus going small: Lithic miniaturization in hominin lithic technology

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