Excavations at Klipfonteinrand Reveal Local and Regional Patterns of Adaptation and Interaction Through MIS 2 in Southern Africa

Coherent changes in wood charcoals, site occupation and lithic technology across the MIS 4/3 transition at Klein Kliphuis rock shelter, South Africa

“…The late Pleistocene climates and environments of the region around Klein Kliphuis are poorly documented due to a lack of natural and cultural archives, exacerbated in places by issues with dating. The complexities of the southern African climate systems also limit the relevance of records from elsewhere in southern Africa (Tyson, 1986), though those from coastal and hinterland regions to the north (Lim et al ., 2016; Stuut et al ., 2002), south (Braun et al ., 2019a,b; Chase et al ., 2018; Esteban et al ., 2020; Faith et al ., 2018), and east of Klein Kliphuis (Mackay et al ., 2019b) tend to indicate increased humidity during glacial phases MIS 4 and MIS 2 (Engelbrecht et al ., 2019). Data from hyrax middens in the Cederberg Mountains east and south‐east of Klein Kliphuis reveal spatially complex patterns of humidity through MIS 2 and the Holocene, though these records do not extend further into the Pleistocene and thus the period of interest here (Chase et al ., 2019).…”

“…The only other studied Pleistocene charcoal assemblage from the region comes from Klipfonteinrand, located in the eastern Cederberg (Mackay et al ., 2019a). The undated but presumed MIS 4 Howiesons Poort sample from the base of the rear trench at that site contains the Afromontane taxon Kiggelaria africana as well as the tree taxa W. wallichii and P. elongatus .…”