Thinking strings: Additional evidence for personal ornament use in the Middle Stone Age at Blombos Cave, South Africa

Vanhaeren, Marian; d’Errico, Francesco; Niekerk, Karen L. van; Henshilwood, Christopher S.; Erasmus, Rudolph M.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.001

Cited by 216 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Examples comprise the adherence of red ochre residues to perforated marine shell beads derived from African MSA and Levantine Mousterian contexts dated from 92 000 years ago (ka) to 60 ka. [32][33][34] As strung beads are generally worn around the neck or wrists, 35 these residues almost certainly derive from direct contact with red pigments applied to human bodies. But because evidence regarding the exact motives for red ochre exploitation during the MSA and LSA is not freely available, diverse interpretations for its usage have been proposed.…”

Section: Ochre As a Sunscreenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the photoprotective effects of red ochre on human skin by in vitro laboratory experiments

Rifkin¹,

d’Errico²,

Dayet³

et al. 2015

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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Archaeological indicators of cognitive complexity become increasingly prevalent during the African Middle Stone Age, with the habitual exploitation of red ochre widely viewed as a key feature of the emergence of modern human behaviour. Given that some of the uses of ochre remain ambiguous, we present the preliminary results of an ongoing study in which we explore the efficacy of red ochre as a photoprotective device or sunscreen. The capacity of ochre to inhibit the susceptibility of humans to the detrimental effects of ultraviolet radiation was confirmed through the in vitro calculation of the sun protection factor values of samples derived from the Kunene Region in Namibia and the Bokkeveld Group deposits, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Visible spectroscopy was employed to determine colourimetric parameters of samples and assess the correlation between ochre colour and sun protection factor. The possible role of ochre as a sunscreen agent for hominin populations, including modern humans, during the Middle Stone Age in Africa is explored. We conclude that the habitual use of red ochre as a photoprotective agent likely played a role in the ability of prehistoric humans to adapt to novel environmental circumstances.

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Section: Ochre As a Sunscreenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the photoprotective effects of red ochre on human skin by in vitro laboratory experiments

Rifkin¹,

d’Errico²,

Dayet³

et al. 2015

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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“…100 to > 130 OSL Henshilwood, 2012, Henshilwood, 2009, Henshilwood, et al, 2001b (a) Henshilwood, et al, 2009, Henshilwood, et al, 2002 Perforated Nassarius kraussianus shell beads with wear facets Show differences in style of beading over time d 'Errico, et al, 2005, Henshilwood, et al, 2004, Henshilwood, 2009, Vanhaeren, et al, 2013 BBC M2 Upper Still Bay points, worked bone tools, shell beads As above …”

Section: Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional values of tortoises relative to ungulates from the Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa: Implications for foraging and social behaviour

Thompson

Henshilwood

2014

Journal of Human Evolution

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The site of Blombos Cave (BBC), Western Cape, South Africa has been a strong contributor to establishing the antiquity of important aspects of modern human behaviour, such as early symbolism and technological complexity. However, many linkages between MSA behaviour and the subsistence record remain to be investigated. Understanding the contribution of small fauna such as tortoises to the human diet is necessary for identifying shifts in overall foraging strategies as well as the collecting and processing behaviour of individuals unable to participate in large-game hunting. This study uses published data to abundance data show that during the ca. 75 ka upper Still Bay M1 phase at BBC tortoises contributed twice as many calories to the diet relative to ungulates than they did during the ca. 100 ka lower M3 phase. However, in spite of the abundance of their fossils, their absolute caloric contribution relative to ungulates remained modest in both phases. At the end of the site's MSA occupation history human subsistence strategies shifted to emphasise high-return hunted mammals, which likely precipitated changes in the social roles of hunters and gatherers during the Still Bay.

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“…Morocco -Of special importance for the emergence of modern social behaviour is the appearance of explicitly symbolic objects (d'Errico et al, 2009;Vanhaeren et al, 2013). In Moroccan Middle Palaeolithic contexts, ornaments such as shell beads (Nassarius sp.)…”

Section: Symbolic Objectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural contact over the Strait of Gibraltar during the Middle Palaeolithic? Evaluating the visibility of cultural exchange

Tafelmaier¹,

Pastoors²,

Weniger³

2018

Munibe, Antropol.-Arkeol.

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Possible contacts between hunter-gatherers of Northern Africa and Europe via the Strait of Gibraltar during the Pleistocene are still object to discussions. In the absence of significant fossil remains, debates are mainly based on similarities and differences of singular aspects of material culture. However, a theoretical framework for these discussions was lacking. The first aim of this study thus has been the development of a theoretical base. We therein included Maslow´s pyramid of basic needs. The idea of our approach is that the presence or absence of so-called cultural tracers identify either contact or disparity. A large database on archaeological sites of Morocco and Southern Iberia dating between 160 ka and 40 ka years ago has been compiled, containing information about lithic technology and typology, lithic raw material acquisition, subsistence patterns and symbolic behaviour. We formulated three potential contact scenarios between the two regions. The presence and/ or absence of so-called cultural tracers within the data set, that covered all levels of Maslow´s pyramid, led us to conclude that -based on the present archaeological and anthropological data -no contact took place between Iberian and North African populations across the Strait of Gibraltar in the given time frame. RESUMENContactos entre grupos humanos del Pleistoceno superior entre África del Norte y la Península Ibérica cruzando el Estrecho de Gibraltar están siendo objeto de debates. Por la falta de fósiles humanos significativos el debate se centra básicamente en similitudes y diferencias en la cultura material. Pero todavía falta un marco metodológico para la discusión. Este trabajo intenta la presentación de una base teórica preliminar. La pirámide de Maslow con necesidades básicas forma parte de estas reflexiones. La ausencia o presencia de marcadores culturales indica según nuestro enfoque contactos o disparidades. En un banco de datos de yacimientos arqueológicos entre 160 ka y 40 ka de Marruecos y del sur de España hemos compilado información sobre tecnología de inventarios líticos, aprovisionamiento de materias primas, patrones de asentamiento y comportamiento simbólico. Se pueden formular tres escenarios de contacto entre ambas regiones. La aplicación de marcadores culturales in relación con la pirámide entera de Maslow indica que según la información actual no se pueden demostrar contactos entre ambos continentes. LABURPENAIparraldeko Afrikaren eta Iberiar penintsularen artean, Gibraltargo itsasartea zeharkatuta, Goi-pleistozenoan giza taldeen artean izan ziren harremanak eztabaidagai bihurtu dira. Gizakiaren fosil esanguratsurik ez dagoenez, eztabaidaren gai nagusia, batez ere, kultura materialean dauden antzekotasunak eta aldeak dira. Baina oraindik eztabaidarako testuinguru metodologikoa falta da. Lan honen helburua da aurretiazko oinarri teorikoa aurkeztea. Oinarrizko beharrak dituen Maslow piramidea gogoeta horien baitan dago. Gure ustez, markatzaile kulturalik ez izateak edo halakoak izateak harremanak edo desber...

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Thinking strings: Additional evidence for personal ornament use in the Middle Stone Age at Blombos Cave, South Africa

Cited by 216 publications

References 68 publications

Assessing the photoprotective effects of red ochre on human skin by in vitro laboratory experiments

Assessing the photoprotective effects of red ochre on human skin by in vitro laboratory experiments

Nutritional values of tortoises relative to ungulates from the Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa: Implications for foraging and social behaviour

Cultural contact over the Strait of Gibraltar during the Middle Palaeolithic? Evaluating the visibility of cultural exchange

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