Testing meat-eating by Middle Stone Age hominins at Loiyangalani open-air site in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Small game forgotten: Late Pleistocene foraging strategies in eastern Africa, and remote capture at Panga ya Saidi, Kenya

“…In other sites with poor preservation, NISP values are higher but identifications are only possible to body part and carcass size, and rarely taxon, limiting some kinds of interpretations. This is the case at Magubike Rockshelter (Masele and Willoughby, 2021), Mlambalasi Rockshelter (Collins and Willoughby, 2010), and open-air Loiyangalani (Masele, 2021(Masele, , 2020Thompson, 2005). LGL, Laas Geel; PEC, Porc-Epic Cave; BUL, Bubula River; FHB, Fincha Habera; MBR, Mochena Borago; KIB, Kibish Formation; RRS, Rifle Range Site; GW, Guli Waabayo; MFG, Mfangano; RUS, Rusinga; KAR, Karungu; EYM, Enkapune ya Muto; LKH, Lukenya Hill; NDU, Ndutu Beds, Olduvai Gorge; GK, Gol Kopjes; NAS, Nasera Rockshelter; MUM, Mumba Rockshelter; MGB, Magubike; KC, Kuumbi Cave; PYS, Panga ya Saidi.…”

“…Second are lowland riverine or lacustrine plains, characterized by open and semi-open vegetation, as at the Bulbula River sites (Lesur et al, 2016), Laas Geel rockshelter (Gutherz et al, 2014), the Rifle Range and Guli Waabayo inselberg sites (Jones et al, 2018;Jones and Brandt, 2022), the Kibish Formation (Assefa et al, 2008;Trapani, 2008), Victoria Basin fossil beds (Faith et al, 2015;Tryon et al, 2012), and Mumba Rockshelter (Mehlman, 1989). A third group of sites are found in higher-elevation grasslands, as in the Athi-Kapiti Plains of Kenya at the Lukenya Hill sites (GvJm19, GvJm22, GvJm46, and GvJm62) (Marean, 1992b), and in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania at Nasera Rockshelter, Gol Kopjes, Loiyangalani, and the Ndutu Beds at Olduvai Gorge (Eren et al, 2014;Gifford-Gonzalez, 2011;Masele, 2020;Mehlman, 1989). Finally, a fourth group of sites are located in semi-wooded uplands, as at Kisese II Rockshelter in the Irangi Hills and at Magubike and Mlambalasi Rockshelters in the Iringa Highlands (Collins and Willoughby, 2010;Masele, 2017;Masele and Willoughby, 2021;Tryon et al, 2019).…”

“…A third group of sites are found in higher-elevation grasslands, as in the Athi-Kapiti Plains of Kenya at the Lukenya Hill sites (GvJm19, GvJm22, GvJm46, and GvJm62) (Marean, 1992b), and in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania at Nasera Rockshelter, Gol Kopjes, Loiyangalani, and the Ndutu Beds at Olduvai Gorge (Eren et al, 2014;Gifford-Gonzalez, 2011;Masele, 2020;Mehlman, 1989). Finally, a fourth group of sites are located in semi-wooded uplands, as at Kisese II Rockshelter in the Irangi Hills and at Magubike and Mlambalasi Rockshelters in the Iringa Highlands (Collins and Willoughby, 2010;Masele, 2017;Masele and Willoughby, 2021;Tryon et al, 2019). These biases limit our understanding of Late Pleistocene foodways in important ways.…”

Zooarchaeology and Taphonomic Aspects of Later Stone Age Faunal Assemblage from Loiyangalani Site in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

“…Studies of the Loiyangalani archaeological assemblages have recently made some noteworthy advances. Unfortunately, the emphasis has been mostly put on the studies of the MSA lithic assemblage typo-technological aspects (Bower et al 2012, Bower and Mabulla 2013, Maíllo-Fernández et al 2019) and its associated faunal assemblage (Marean 1996, Thompson 2005, Masele 2017, 2020. This paper provides detailed zooarchaeological and taphonomic results on the LSA faunal component recovered nearly two decades ago.…”

“…Research conducted within the park has reported cultural materials spanning the Early Stone Age (ESA), Middle Stone Age (MSA), Later Stone Age (LSA), Pastoral Neolithic (PN), Iron Age (IA), and rock paintings (Bower and Gogan-Porter 1981). Of note, Loiyangalani which is one of the few reported sites has received much of the archeological research attention (Bower 1977, Bower and Gogan-Porter 1981, Marean 1996, Bower et al 1985, 2012, Thompson 2005, Bower and Mabulla 2013, Masele 2017, 2020, Maíllo-Fernández et al 2019. Two major discrete archaeostratigraphic units have been identified at the site: the LSA (from 0 to 90 cm below the surface) at the top and the MSA (90 to 250 cm) below it (Masele 2017).…”