Past Environmental Proxies from the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Hall, Grant; Wadley, Lyn; Woodborne, Stephan

doi:10.3213/2191-5784-10246

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…The results show a remarkable disconnect between environmental and cultural change. Various indicators of climate and vegetation, suggesting drier and warmer conditions with more open grassland habitats than today, remain constant throughout the period of study (see [ 17 , 126 , 157 – 159 ]) with minor random fluctuations (see [ 160 ]), while the lithic technology undergoes marked and unidirectional changes. Behavioral change thus occurred independent of environmental change, suggesting that the observed alterations in technology do not constitute adaptive responses to variable natural environments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the Causes and Consequences of Short-Term Behavioral Change during the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu, South Africa

Conard

Will

2015

PLoS ONE

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Sibudu in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) with its rich and high-resolution archaeological sequence provides an ideal case study to examine the causes and consequences of short-term variation in the behavior of modern humans during the Middle Stone Age (MSA). We present the results from a technological analysis of 11 stratified lithic assemblages which overlie the Howiesons Poort deposits and all date to ~58 ka. Based on technological and typological attributes, we conducted inter-assemblage comparisons to characterize the nature and tempo of cultural change in successive occupations. This work identified considerable short-term variation with clear temporal trends throughout the sequence, demonstrating that knappers at Sibudu varied their technology over short time spans. The lithic assemblages can be grouped into three cohesive units which differ from each other in the procurement of raw materials, the frequency in the methods of core reduction, the kind of blanks produced, and in the nature of tools the inhabitants of Sibudu made and used. These groups of assemblages represent different strategies of lithic technology, which build upon each other in a gradual, cumulative manner. We also identify a clear pattern of development toward what we have previously defined as the Sibudan cultural taxonomic unit. Contextualizing these results on larger geographical scales shows that the later phase of the MSA during MIS 3 in KwaZulu-Natal and southern Africa is one of dynamic cultural change rather than of stasis or stagnation as has at times been claimed. In combination with environmental, subsistence and contextual information, our high-resolution data on lithic technology suggest that short-term behavioral variability at Sibudu can be best explained by changes in technological organization and socio-economic dynamics instead of environmental forcing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the Causes and Consequences of Short-Term Behavioral Change during the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu, South Africa

Conard

Will

2015

PLoS ONE

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“…A significant amount of research has focused on the artifacts and ecofacts recovered from the HP deposits at Sibudu (e.g., botanical remains: Allott, 2005Allott, , 2006Sievers, 2006;Hall et al, 2008Hall et al, , 2014Bruch et al, 2012;faunal remains: Glenny, 2006;Plug, 2006;Clark and Plug, 2008;Plug and Clark, 2008;Clark, 2009Clark, , 2011Clark, , 2013Clark and Ligouis, 2010;Wadley, 2010;Val, 2016;Val et al, 2016;lithic/organic technology: Backwell et al, 2008;Lombard, 2008Lombard, , 2011Wadley and Mohapi, 2008;Lombard and Phillipson, 2010;d'Errico et al, 2012;de la Peña et al, 2013;de la Peña andWadley, 2014a, 2014b;de la Peña, 2015;Soriano et al, 2015;geoarchaeology/dating: Jacobs et al, 2008ageoarchaeology/dating: Jacobs et al, , 2008bGoldberg et al, 2009;other: Wadley, 2008other: Wadley, , 2012Hodgkiss, 2013); here I will summarize the results of those aspects of the data most relevant to our understanding of the faunal assemblage: 1) paleoenvironmental reconstruction and 2) hunting technologies/techniques.…”

Section: The Howieson's Poort At Sibudu Cavementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three classes of data deriving from the botanical record provide information on paleoclimate during the HP: charcoal, seeds, and the isotopic analysis of charcoal (Allott, 2005(Allott, , 2006Sievers, 2006;Hall et al, 2008Hall et al, , 2014. Published data are thus far limited to material recovered from units B5 and B6; furthermore, analyses by Allott (2006) and Hall et al (2008Hall et al ( , 2014) incorporated only layers GS and GR. In all cases, the HP was considered as a single unit, although Hall et al (2008) include a data table that presents results for both GS and GR.…”

Section: Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction: Botanical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beyond sedges, only three seeds could be identified to genus or species, providing limited additional information on environmental conditions during the HP. Hall et al (2008Hall et al ( , 2014 report on the isotopic analysis of Podocarpus (n=122) and Celtis (white stinkwood, n=7) charcoal from layers GS and GR. The δ 13 C values are indicative of warm and moist conditions during the HP.…”

Section: Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction: Botanical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Howieson's Poort fauna from Sibudu Cave: Documenting continuity and change within Middle Stone Age industries

Clark

2017

Journal of Human Evolution

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The Howieson's Poort (HP; ∼65-59 ka) continues to be a source of interest to scholars studying human behavioral evolution during the Late Pleistocene. This is in large part because the HP preserves evidence for a suite of innovative technologies and behaviors (including geometric backed tools and engraved ostrich eggshell), but also because the disappearance of the innovative behaviors associated with this phase is not well understood. Here, I present taphonomic and taxonomic data on the full sample of macromammal remains excavated from the HP deposits at Sibudu Cave under the direction of Lyn Wadley. With a total number of identified specimens (NISP) of 5921, Sibudu provides the largest sample of HP fauna published to date. Taken as a whole, the data suggest a focus on a diverse range of prey. Ungulates dominate the assemblage, as do taxa that preferentially inhabit closed (particularly forested) environments. Small bovids are common throughout; blue duiker (Philantomba monticola) alone comprises ∼33% of the total NISP. A diverse smaller game assemblage is also present. Taphonomic data implicate humans as the primary contributor to the fauna; however, low levels of gastric etching (∼1% of the NISP) suggest that non-human agents may have played some role in the accumulation of the smaller game. Despite broad similarities in the fauna, a number of directional trends are evidenced. Most notably, the lowermost deposits of the HP contain the highest frequency of blue duiker and other small ungulates, taxa which prefer closed environments, and miscellaneous smaller game. All of these decline throughout the HP, and these differences are statistically significant. After considering possible explanations for these trends, I discuss the potential implications of the variation evidenced in the assemblage to our understanding of the onset-and disappearance-of this important substage of the MSA.

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“…It has a sequence of archaeological layers from the Middle Stone Age, dated by single-grain optically stimulated luminescence to approximately 77-38 ka. [2][3][4][5][6] Some of the evidence for the behaviour of the anatomically modern people who visited and lived at Sibudu includes stone tools, ochre, bone, perforated seashells and hearths [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] , as well as evidence for the making and use of compound adhesives 16 , and circumstantial evidence for snares 17 and bows and arrows 18 . There is evidence of the use of plant resources from pollen, phytoliths, seeds, nutlets, stems, charcoal and leaves excavated at Sibudu.…”

Section: Sibudumentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of wood anatomy to identify poisonous plants: Charcoal of Spirostachys africana

Lennox¹,

Bamford²

2015

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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Spirostachys africana Sond. (tamboti/tambotie) is a woodland tree that is often found near water. It has a poisonous and purgative latex. The archaeological site of Sibudu, a rock shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, has evidence, from well-preserved charcoal and seeds, of past environments and wood use from approximately 77-38 thousand years ago (ka). As their uses and environmental indicators are different, it is critical to confidently distinguish among the three anatomically similar woods of the Euphorbiaceae: Spirostachys africana, Sclerocroton integerrimus and Shirakiopsis elliptica. A detailed anatomical study of reference and archaeological charcoal shows that xylem vessel width increases proportionally as vessel frequency decreases, from Spirostachys africana, Sclerocroton integerrimus to Shirakiopsis elliptica. Crystals of calcium oxalate are present in ray cells of Spirostachys africana, whereas silica bodies are present in ray cells of Sclerocroton integerrimus and Shirakiopsis elliptica. Using these features, the presence of Spirostachys africana was confirmed amongst hearth charcoal of the Spotty Camel layer, with an age of approximately 58 ka and of the Mottled Deposit occupational layer, with an age of approximately 49 ka. The presence of this charcoal, collected from ancient fireplaces or sieved from surrounding sediments, implies that people at Sibudu understood and used this poisonous tree to their advantage. We are encouraged in this view by the presence of many Cryptocarya woodii leaves found on the surface of 77-ka sedge bedding at Sibudu (Wadley L et al., Science. 2011;334:1388-1391. Cryptocarya woodii has insecticidal and larvacidal properties and members of the Laurel family are well known for their medicinal properties.

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Past Environmental Proxies from the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 16 publications

References 57 publications

Examining the Causes and Consequences of Short-Term Behavioral Change during the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu, South Africa

Examining the Causes and Consequences of Short-Term Behavioral Change during the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu, South Africa

The Howieson's Poort fauna from Sibudu Cave: Documenting continuity and change within Middle Stone Age industries

Use of wood anatomy to identify poisonous plants: Charcoal of Spirostachys africana

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