Characterizing the Late Pleistocene MSA Lithic Technology of Sibudu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Studies of the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) have become central for defining the cultural adaptations that accompanied the evolution of modern humans. While much of recent research in South Africa has focused on the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort (HP), periods following these technocomplexes were often neglected. Here we examine lithic assemblages from Sibudu that post-date the HP to further the understanding of MSA cultural variability during the Late Pleistocene. Sibudu preserves an exceptionally thick, rich, and high-resolution archaeological sequence that dates to ∼58 ka, which has recently been proposed as type assemblage for the “Sibudan”. This study presents a detailed analysis of the six uppermost lithic assemblages from these deposits (BM-BSP) that we excavated from 2011–2013. We define the key elements of the lithic technology and compare our findings to other assemblages post-dating the HP. The six lithic assemblages provide a distinct and robust cultural signal, closely resembling each other in various technological, techno-functional, techno-economic, and typological characteristics. These results refute assertions that modern humans living after the HP possessed an unstructured and unsophisticated MSA lithic technology. While we observed several parallels with other contemporaneous MSA sites, particularly in the eastern part of southern Africa, the lithic assemblages at Sibudu demonstrate a distinct and so far unique combination of techno-typological traits. Our findings support the use of the Sibudan to help structuring this part of the southern African MSA and emphasize the need for further research to identify the spatial and temporal extent of this proposed cultural unit.

Lithic technological responses to Late Pleistocene glacial cycling at Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, South Africa

“…For example, Wurz [56], draws attention to the point that the apparent increase in temporal and spatial patterning during the SB and HP compared to earlier and later time periods could be in part a reflection of more intense research, and that those industries are best understood within the context of local historical trajectories of technological change rather than as responses to environmental change. This perspective of the MSA in general is supported by evidence for dynamic, short-term behavioral variability in the recently studied MIS 3 levels at Sibudu [117–119]. At Blombos Cave, the SB technocomplex is associated with warmer temperatures (based on shellfish types) and higher productivity (based on mammal assemblages), leading Langejans et al [120] to argue that the SB technocomplex is not an adaption to harsh conditions or low environmental productivity as has previously been suggested.…”

“…The analysis conducted here included a specialized database of platform and ventral surface characteristics advocated for by Soriano et al [108] and Villa et al [106], based on a report by Pelegrin [167], and utilized by other MSA researchers [117] for determining percussion technique (i.e., percussor type, pre-impact preparation, impact location relative to core edge). For all the raw material types, there are some significant changes in these platform characteristics associated with glacial cycling.…”

“…Platform thickness is an example used as a proxy here for percussion technique (e.g. [106, 108, 117]), where percussion technique refers to the manner with which flakes and blades are detached from stone cores, employing direct or indirect percussion or pressure, using hard or soft percussors and marginal or invasive percussion. A list of each behavioral interpretation with references and explanation is provided in Table M in S1 Dataset.…”

Refining Our Understanding of Howiesons Poort Lithic Technology: The Evidence from Grey Rocky Layer in Sibudu Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)

“…After this detailed analysis the challenge is to evaluate how the HP changes through time and why. This is also important for understanding the putative change from HP to the so-called post-HP [ 97 , 98 ].…”

Prospectando rochas fluviais e artefatos do Paleolítico Médio Africano descobertos ao longo do Rio Cunene, fronteira entre Angola e Namíbia

“…No deserto hiperárido do noroeste da Namíbia, o pequeno tamanho das amostras líticas recuperadas impedem a definição de conjuntos de ferramentas, e os achados são de contextos geológicos que podem ter sido retrabalhados. Isto complica comparações com registros da África do Sul e além (e.g., Basell 2008;Deruiter et al 2008;Jacobs et al 2008;Porraz et al 2013;Will et al 2014;de la Peña 2015).…”