Journal
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
Volume 40, Issue 9, Pages 3376-3400Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2013.02.012
Keywords
Middle Stone Age; Anatomically modern humans; Upper Pleistocene; Lithic technology; Still Bay; Howiesons Poort
Funding
- French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE)
- Aquitaine region
- Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur region
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Paleontological Scientific Trust (PAST)
- National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa
- Fyssen foundation
- Alexander von Humboldt Foundations
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The southern African MSA comprises a series of phases of unique technological innovations that fuel current models on the evolutionary processes of Anatomically Modern Humans. However, the nature and variability of these technological phases remain poorly documented. This study reports on the previously unpublished sequence of Diepkloof Rock Shelter (South Africa) and investigates the main technological changes therein, particularly emphasizing the emergence, succession and disappearance of the Still Bay (SB) and the Howiesons Poort (HP). We argue for technological change that occurred at different rates and under the influence of variable driving factors. Our model implies that the SB and the HP are not related to the influx of new populations but have regionally specific origins. Unlike the other techno-complexes, the HP at Diepkloof is subdivided into different phases (Early, Intermediate and Late) but only the upper phases resemble the so-called classic HP. Finally, the technological sequence of Diepkloof questions the homogeneous picture which has been so far assumed for the southern African MSA and places emphasis on the importance of exploring long regional sequences. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available