Animal exploitation strategies during the South African Middle Stone Age: Howiesons Poort and post-Howiesons Poort fauna from Sibudu Cave

Clark, Jamie L.; Plug, Ina

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.12.004

Cited by 120 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…It has also resulted in the recovery of large, well-dated faunal assemblages associated with some of the earliest or most convincing examples of modern behavioural complexity (Clark, 2011;Clark and Plug, 2008;Dusseldorp, 2012;Marean et al, 2007;Thompson, 2010a;Thompson and Henshilwood, 2011;Wadley, 2010). Within this body of work there has been differential emphasis on the significance of big-game hunting ability, although recent research has begun to also explore small ungulate acquisition (Clark and Plug, 2008;Wadley, 2010). This theme of ungulate research extends even to diet breadth models, which remain restricted to within larger mammal taxa rather than considering the suite of other faunal remains that are often found in the same deposits as the ungulates (Dusseldorp, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recent work has indicated MSA people had an unrestricted hunting ability (Dusseldorp, 2010;Faith, 2008;Marean et al, 2000;Milo, 1998;Thompson, 2010a;Thompson and Henshilwood, 2011). Such work has also examined the possibility that small ungulate trapping and snaring reflected technological subsistence solutions as complex as those used by modern people (Clark, 2011;Clark and Plug, 2008;Wadley, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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“…Clark and Plug 2008 note that, at Sibudu, suids and buffalo are better-represented than eland. At Florisbad, prey animals under 100 kg were preferred.…”

Section: The Role Of Eland Buffalo and Suids: The State Of Affairsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Prey Choice During the South African Middle Stone Age: Avoiding Dangerous Prey or Maximising Returns?

Dusseldorp

2010

Afr Archaeol Rev

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Scrutinising prey choice allows the testing of hypotheses on whether the hunting capabilities of Middle Stone Age (MSA) people were as sophisticated as those of Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers. I apply an optimal foraging perspective to investigate whether MSA prey choice was constrained by the danger associated with hunting certain species. Here, I study the relative importance of elands, buffalo and suids. Eland was the most attractive prey to hunter-gatherers because it is large and docile. Buffalo and suids are more aggressive. When additional species to eland needed to be exploited, we would expect unsophisticated hunters to prefer the smaller suids over buffalo. If hunting prowess was sufficient to deal with both buffalo and suids, buffalo should be preferred. Due to their size, exploitation of buffalo would be more profitable than exploitation of suids. I show that, taking environmental circumstances into account, buffalo were preferred to suids, suggesting that MSA people were capable, sophisticated hunters.Résumée Le choix des espèces de proie des chasseurs du « Middle Stone Age » (MSA) peut être évaluée si les méthodes de chasse du MSA était également raffinée comme les méthodes de chasse du « Later Stone Age » (LSA). Ici j'applique «Optimal Foraging Theory» aux collections fauniques du MSA pour rechercher si le choix de la proie était contraint et par le danger associée avec chasser certaines espèces. Cette étude est concentrée à l'exploitation de l'éland, des buffles et des suidés. L'éland était la proie préférée par les chasseurs MSA, parce que c'est un animal grand mais docile. Les buffles et les suidés sont plus agressifs. Si l'exploitation des plus d'espèces que l'éland était nécessaire, il y a deux scénarios distinctifs. Si des espèces dangereuses étaient difficiles à chasser pour les hommes MSA, les suidés serait préférées. Si chasser des espèces dangereux n'était pas problématique, les buffles serait préférées, parce que des buffles sont plus grand et leur exploitation serait plus bénéficiaux. Je montre que, dans les environnements ou c'était possible, des hommes MSA préférait des buffles. Leur exploitation insinue que les homes MSA étaient des chasseurs très capables.

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“…According to the survey, the most significant archaeozoological contributions to our understanding of the past have come from Stone Age (particularly Middle Stone Age) and palaeontological contexts at sites such as Klasies River, Sibudu Cave, Florisbad and Sterkfontein (e.g., Brink 1987Brink , 1988Clark and Plug 2008;Klein 1989;Reynolds and Kibii 2011), and through the work of faunal specialists Brain and Klein (see Brain 2007;Klarreich 2004; Gifford-Gonzalez 1999 for selected references). Important archaeozoological contributions stemming from later sites and periods were less often cited.…”

Section: Local Perspectives and Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Directions in South African Archaeozoology of the Last 2,000 Years

2016

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Animal exploitation strategies during the South African Middle Stone Age: Howiesons Poort and post-Howiesons Poort fauna from Sibudu Cave

Cited by 120 publications

References 19 publications

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

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

Prey Choice During the South African Middle Stone Age: Avoiding Dangerous Prey or Maximising Returns?

New Directions in South African Archaeozoology of the Last 2,000 Years

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