An early bone tool industry from the Middle Stone Age at Blombos Cave, South Africa: implications for the origins of modern human behaviour, symbolism and language

Henshilwood, Christopher S.; d’Errico, Francesco; Marean, Curtis W.; Milo, Richard G.; Yates, Royden

doi:10.1006/jhev.2001.0515

Cited by 359 publications

(193 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…F st comparisons also support a southern African origin. Geographic dispersal of modern humans from southern Africa is consistent with the earliest archaeological evidence for worked bone awls, inscribed ostrich eggshell, and climatic evidence indicating a more hospitable climate in southern Africa than eastern Africa until 60,000-70,000 y ago (46)(47)(48). The large number of unique SNPs not present in dbSNP but identified in the Namibian KB1 (15) "Bushman" genome is also suggestive of the greater diversity present in these KhoeSan populations, but resequencing of larger sample sizes from many geographically separated African populations is required to confirm this conclusion.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Hunter-gatherer genomic diversity suggests a southern African origin for modern humans

Henn

Gignoux

Jobin

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

400

363

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Africa is inferred to be the continent of origin for all modern human populations, but the details of human prehistory and evolution in Africa remain largely obscure owing to the complex histories of hundreds of distinct populations. We present data for more than 580,000 SNPs for several hunter-gatherer populations: the Hadza and Sandawe of Tanzania, and the ≠Khomani Bushmen of South Africa, including speakers of the nearly extinct N|u language. We find that African hunter-gatherer populations today remain highly differentiated, encompassing major components of variation that are not found in other African populations. Hunter-gatherer populations also tend to have the lowest levels of genome-wide linkage disequilibrium among 27 African populations. We analyzed geographic patterns of linkage disequilibrium and population differentiation, as measured by F ST , in Africa. The observed patterns are consistent with an origin of modern humans in southern Africa rather than eastern Africa, as is generally assumed. Additionally, genetic variation in African hunter-gatherer populations has been significantly affected by interaction with farmers and herders over the past 5,000 y, through both severe population bottlenecks and sex-biased migration. However, African hunter-gatherer populations continue to maintain the highest levels of genetic diversity in the world.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Hunter-gatherer genomic diversity suggests a southern African origin for modern humans

Henn

Gignoux

Jobin

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

400

363

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“…This is supported by the abundance of Still Bay points and bone points in the M1 phase that show the investment of substantial effort in the manufacture and maintenance of hunting technology (d'Errico and Henshilwood, 2007;Henshilwood et al, 2001a;Villa et al, 2009). Small-bodied Neotragine ungulates do not live in large groups and are not suitable for monotaxic mass drives, but may be obtained as part of more generalised communal net-hunting drives (Bailey and Aunger, 1989;Lupo and Schmitt, 2002;Tanno, 1976).…”

Section: Subsistence Shifts During the Still Baymentioning

confidence: 97%

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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“…Because these finds clearly predate the oldest known age for the use of similar objects in Europe by anatomically modern humans, they could also be evidence for cultural diffusion from Neandertals to modern humans. human evolution | Paleolithic archaeology | Middle Paleolithic S pecialized bone technology first appears in Africa (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) and is widespread in Europe after the arrival of modern humans with the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic (6)(7)(8). Modern humans shaped bone by grinding and polishing to produce standardized or so-called formal tools that were used for specific functions (6,9).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe

Soressi

McPherron

Lenoir

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

228

116

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Modern humans replaced Neandertals ∼40,000 y ago. Close to the time of replacement, Neandertals show behaviors similar to those of the modern humans arriving into Europe, including the use of specialized bone tools, body ornaments, and small blades. It is highly debated whether these modern behaviors developed before or as a result of contact with modern humans. Here we report the identification of a type of specialized bone tool, lissoir , previously only associated with modern humans. The microwear preserved on one of these lissoir is consistent with the use of lissoir in modern times to obtain supple, lustrous, and more impermeable hides. These tools are from a Neandertal context proceeding the replacement period and are the oldest specialized bone tools in Europe. As such, they are either a demonstration of independent invention by Neandertals or an indication that modern humans started influencing European Neandertals much earlier than previously believed. Because these finds clearly predate the oldest known age for the use of similar objects in Europe by anatomically modern humans, they could also be evidence for cultural diffusion from Neandertals to modern humans.

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An early bone tool industry from the Middle Stone Age at Blombos Cave, South Africa: implications for the origins of modern human behaviour, symbolism and language

Cited by 359 publications

References 49 publications

Hunter-gatherer genomic diversity suggests a southern African origin for modern humans

Hunter-gatherer genomic diversity suggests a southern African origin for modern humans

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

Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe

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