Putslaagte 1 (PL1), the Doring River, and the later Middle Stone Age in southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone

Abstract

Existing data suggest weak human occupation of southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone (WRZ) during later Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, the causes of which are unknown. Here we report briefly on the results of recent surveys of alluvial terrace sites of the Doring River in the WRZ, which document occupation over a broad expanse of the later Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Pleistocene Later Stone Age. We then report on test excavations at one terrace site, denoted Putslaagte site 1 (PL1), describe in detail the assemblage of flaked stone artefacts produced from that excavation, and present two OSL ages obtained from 0.8 m to 1.5 m below surface. The results suggest that a) artefact accumulations at PL1 are dense, b) the technological systems documented are characteristically MSA but differ in form from the range of systems known from other excavated sites in the region, and c) that the assemblages accumulated in MIS 3. Taken together with the survey data the results introduce new variation into the later MSA in southern Africa, and imply reorganisation of land use in the WRZ in late MIS 3 rather than abandonment. We suggest that a research emphasis on rock shelter deposits may have produced misleading depictions of regional occupation. AbstractExisting data suggest weak human occupation of southern Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone (WRZ) during later Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, the causes of which are unknown. Here we report briefly on the results of recent surveys of alluvial terrace sites of the Doring River in the WRZ, which document occupation over a broad expanse of the later Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Pleistocene Later Stone Age. We then report on test excavations at one terrace site, denoted Putslaagte site 1 (PL1), describe in detail the assemblage of flaked stone artefacts produced from that excavation, and present two OSL ages obtained from 0.8 m and 1.5 m below surface. The results suggest that a) artefact accumulations at PL1 are extremely dense, b) the technological systems documented are characteristically MSA but differ in form from the range of systems known from other excavated sites in the region, and c) that the assemblages accumulated in MIS 3. Taken together with the survey data the results introduce new variation into the later MSA in southern Africa, and imply reorganisation of land use in the WRZ in late MIS 3 rather than abandonment. We suggest that a research emphasis on rock shelter deposits may have produced misleading depictions of regional occupation.

Pleistocene Archaeology and Chronology of Putslaagte 8 (PL8) Rockshelter, Western Cape, South Africa

“…The difference may in part reflect package size and form with quartz generally available only as small, rounded pebbles requiring bipolar working to initiate reduction. It may also reflect the suitability of different materials to bipolar (Mackay 2008).…”

Lithics of the late Middle Palaeolithic: Post MIS 5 technological variability and its implications

“…PL1 has produced a dense lithic assemblage (the authors estimate that the terrace contains >350,000 Middle Palaeolithic artefacts), differing in characteristics from other Late Pleistocene sites in South Africa. Mackay et al (2014a) demonstrate the reorganization of human populations in MIS 3, in contrast to ideas that South Africa was largely depopulated in this period. The lithics are mainly made on hornfels.…”

“…They include reminders of the utility of cave/rockshelter sites to understand hominin behaviour and change through time (e.g. De la Peña and Wadley, 2014;Faivre et al, 2014;Grimaldi and Santaniello, 2014;Groucutt, 2014;Lewis et al, 2014;Moncel et al, 2014;Picin et al, 2014), but also that open air sites are critical to any understanding of landscape use (Blinkhorn, 2014;Mackay et al, 2014a;Oestmo et al, 2014). Blinkhorn (2014), for instance, demonstrates that surface sites can sometimes be associated with maximum ages based on their position in the landscape.…”

“…c o m / l o c a t e / q u a i n t within the context of understanding site formation processes, and the possible biasing effects these can have. Mackay et al (2014a) report on test excavations at the site of Putslaagte site 1 (PL1) in South Africa and present the analysis of the lithic assemblage from the site. The site represents an occupation of South Africa's Winter Rainfall Zone (WRZ) during MIS 3.…”

“…After decortification various methods of prepared core reduction were employed. Based on the underlying OSL dates (~60 ka) and the characteristics of the lithic assemblage, Mackay et al (2014a) argue that the assemblage at PL1 probably dates to late MIS 3, i.e. less than 50 ka.…”