A New Approach to Quantifying Raw Material Selectivity in the African Acheulean: Perspectives from Angola and South Africa

Abstract

In southern Africa, the use of gravel outcrops has been recorded at a range of Earlier Stone Age sites, and this raises questions about the diversity of raw material sourcing practices adopted by hominins. To assess the existence of sourcing strategies, this study details a new morphometric analysis method that investigates the influence of pebble and cobble shape at two Acheulean case-study sites: Dungo IV (Benguela Province, Angola) and Penhill Farm (Eastern Cape Province, South Africa). Since these assemblages present frequent pebble and cobble artefacts, we investigate these to identify raw material blank properties to then establish whether these properties were intentionally selected for. To do so, we analyse each archaeological sample separately via a technological and morphometrical approach and then compare them with geological samples obtained during fieldwork survey. Overall, these two case studies provide some illustration of variable selection strategies within the southern African coastal plain.

Comparing morphological variability in handaxes from Penhill Farm and Amanzi Springs, Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…Collectively, this supports the idea that hominins were acquiring large flake blanks possibly from large boulder cores off-site (as documented at other SRV sites, see Lotter & Kuman 2018b), subsequently transporting them on-site specifically for handaxe production. Overall, this talks to variable procurement strategies and mobility throughout the valley for tool production purposes, which is further supported by Mesfin et al (2021) in their recent investigation of local raw material exposures and their comparison of local cobble blank properties to those in the PHF assemblage (Mesfin et al 2021).…”

“…Basic techno-typological descriptions and regional inter-site comparisons of the PHF assemblage have been provided in several recent papers (Lotter & Kuman 2018a, Lotter 2020aLotter & Caruana 2021;Mesfin et al 2021;Lotter in press a, b). It is comprised of 9904 artefacts in total, a limited number of LCTs (n=49, with n=16 handaxes), and over 85% of all artefacts have been produced on quartzite and less frequently on siltstone (n=363, 7.5%) and hornfels (n=255, 5.2%).…”

“…Acheulean sites in the Sundays River Valley (SRV, namely Penhill -PHF, Atmar and Bernol Farms) and at Amanzi Springs (AMS; located in the neighbouring Coega River Valley) have increased resolution both on the timing and nature of technological trends within the Earlier Stone Age sequence of the Eastern Cape Province (Fig. 1) (Lotter & Kuman 2018a, b;Caruana & Herries 2020Lotter 2020a, b, in press a;Lotter & Caruana 2021;Mesfin et al 2021;Herries et al in press;Lotter et al submitted). The SRV and AMS are within 25 km of each other, and their raw materials are both predominated by similar quartzite lithologies (Deacon 1970;Lotter & Kuman 2018a, b;Lotter 2020a, b;Lotter & Caruana 2021;Mesfin et al 2021;Herries et al in press).…”

“…1) (Lotter & Kuman 2018a, b;Caruana & Herries 2020Lotter 2020a, b, in press a;Lotter & Caruana 2021;Mesfin et al 2021;Herries et al in press;Lotter et al submitted). The SRV and AMS are within 25 km of each other, and their raw materials are both predominated by similar quartzite lithologies (Deacon 1970;Lotter & Kuman 2018a, b;Lotter 2020a, b;Lotter & Caruana 2021;Mesfin et al 2021;Herries et al in press). While the Sundays River sites are older (ca.…”

In situ-produced10Be and26Al indirect dating of Elarmékora Earlier Stone Age artefacts: first attempt in a savannah forest mosaic in the middle Ogooué valley, Gabon

“…So far, only the site of Dungo in Angola presents ages that converge with those of Elarmékora, dated by cosmogenic nuclides to ca 600–650 ka. The technological patterns of Dungo also suggest a dominance of pebble and cobbles tools ( figure 5 b ) along with some shaped tool production [ 72 , 73 ]. Similar patterns have been reported from a number of undated ESA sites in western Central Africa ( figure 1 c ), among which are the Lunda-Norte sites in northeastern Angola [ 74 ].…”