Natural and cultural spatial patterning in the Late Holocene deposits of Shum Laka Rock Shelter, Cameroon

Rock shelters, often containing thick accumulations of cultural debris from repeated occupation, are the most informative archaeological sites in the forest zone of West Africa. They are, however, frequently disturbed by human and natural processes. Extensive excavations at Shum Laka rock shelter yielded a long cultural sequence for the Grassfields in NW Cameroon. The topmost, Late Holocene deposits, are analyzed for natural and cultural spatial patterning through a combination of geomorphic analysis, exhaustive (14)C dating, and analysis of spatial distribution of lithic artifacts and pottery refits. We identified post-depositional disturbances and reconstructed for the first time a reliable cultural sequence for the Grassfields during the Late Holocene. Finally, we discuss the transition from the Late Stone Age to the Iron Age in the area along the Gulf of Guinea.