Publications
The Andrew Phaswana Site: A new locality in the Swartkrans Cave paleoanthropological complex (South Africa)
A new paleoanthropological site, the Andrew Phaswana Site (APS), has been discovered near Swartkrans Cave within South Africa's UNESCO Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Preliminary analyses reveal a complex formational history where older breccia bodies eroded and collapsed, mixing Pleistocene and Holocene faunal assemblages in the floor sediments. However, cultural materials such as lithics, ostrich eggshell fragments, ochre, and quartz crystals suggest an intact Later Stone Age (LSA) assemblage, rare in this region. APS offers potential insights into later Pleistocene to Holocene human occupation, complementing findings from Members 4 and 5 of the Swartkrans Formation.
A high-resolution chronology for the archaeological deposits at Pinnacle Point 5–6, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Researchers have constructed a high-resolution chronology for the archaeological deposits at Pinnacle Point Site 5–6 (PP5-6), South Africa, spanning approximately 60,000 years from around 110,000 to 50,000 years ago. This study demonstrates that sediment deposition at PP5-6 is closely linked to global climate and sea-level changes, providing a detailed timeline for understanding human occupation and environmental modifications during the Pleistocene. The team employed optical dating methods, generating 197 individual age estimates, with 169 integrated into a Bayesian age model. This systematic approach enhances the resolution of chronologies to human timescales, enabling more precise comparisons between sites and proxy data. Additionally, the study identifies major periods of site modification and connects various causes and effects with different types of occupation, offering new insights into the interplay between humans and their environment during this critical period.
A microcontextual investigation of Later Stone Age ash deposits and associated interment of human remains at Faraoskop Rock Shelter, South Africa
A microcontextual investigation of Later Stone Age ash deposits at Faraoskop Rock Shelter, South Africa, reveals distinct patterns of human activity and environmental shifts. The study identifies a break in site occupation between Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, with Holocene ash deposits indicating continuous hearth use at a central location, marked by increasing fire intensity over time. Phytolith analysis further suggests the repeated use of plant bedding features, particularly eudicots, as living surfaces around fires. The findings also point to an environmental transition from grassland regimes during the Pleistocene to a shrubbier context in the Holocene. While the direct interment context of human remains was not available for study, the research provides valuable insights into site use patterns and paleoenvironmental conditions during this period.
The Middle Stone Age Sequence at Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1), Western Cape, South Africa
A re-excavation of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) sequence at Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1), a rock shelter in South Africa’s Fynbos biome, reveals three distinct MSA components dating to ~69 ka, ~85 ka, and ~156 ka. Notably, the oldest component contains large blades absent from overlying strata, suggesting a unique technological phase during marine isotope stage 6 (MIS 6). Phytolith analysis indicates stable floral communities across these units, reflecting the biome’s resilience. The study highlights spatial variability in rock shelter occupation, as earlier MSA and early Holocene components were not found in a nearby trench, which instead yielded a sequence dominated by MIS 2 occupation. This research advances understanding of early modern human behavior in southern Africa while underscoring the discontinuous nature of archaeological deposits.
Coherent changes in wood charcoals, site occupation and lithic technology across the MIS 4/3 transition at Klein Kliphuis rock shelter, South Africa
A significant shift in human behavior and environmental adaptation occurred at Klein Kliphuis rock shelter, South Africa, during the transition from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 to MIS 3, approximately 65–55,000 years ago. The study reveals that as soil moisture declined, site occupation intensity decreased, marked by a reduction in diverse fuelwood species and an increase in shrubs and small flowering plants used for 'fast fires.' This suggests a behavioral change towards shorter visits and greater forager mobility, possibly linked to early MIS 3 conditions. Wood charcoals also indicate that silcrete, the dominant lithology in tool production during the Howiesons Poort period, was less prevalent post-transition, implying changes in lithic technology. The research integrates paleoenvironmental data with archaeological evidence to uncover coherent shifts in human adaptation strategies during this critical period.
Tufas indicate prolonged periods of water availability linked to human occupation in the southern Kalahari
Research at Ga-Mohana Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the southern Kalahari, reveals that prolonged periods of water availability, indicated by relict tufas, were closely linked to human occupation during the Pleistocene. Analysis of 33 uranium-thorium dated samples spanning the last 110,000 years identified five distinct episodes of tufa formation, three of which align with known archaeological units at the site (~105 ka, ~31 ka, and ~15 ka). The study suggests that wet phases and human occupation were coupled in this region from approximately 240,000 to 71,000 years ago, but decoupled by around 20,000 years during the Last Glacial Maximum. This finding provides critical insights into the relationship between environmental change and human evolution, emphasizing the importance of water availability in shaping human settlement patterns.
Making the Invisible Stratigraphy Visible: A Grid-Based, Multi-Proxy Geoarchaeological Study of Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, South Africa
A grid-based, multi-proxy geoarchaeological study of Umhlatuzana Rockshelter in South Africa reveals that the site's stratigraphy, previously appearing homogeneous, shows fine-resolution geochemical differentiations linked to environmental changes and human occupation intensity during the Pleistocene. The research combines pH measurements, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, magnetic susceptibility, and micromorphological observations to demonstrate a steady transition from Middle Stone Age to Later Stone Age industries, suggesting wetter conditions during the transitional period. This study also confirms the integrity of the sedimentary sequence, ruling out large-scale post-depositional movement. The approach offers a robust method for studying archaeological deposits at both macro and micro scales, providing insights into stratigraphic integrity, anthropogenic input, preservation, and environmental change.
Chronostratigraphy, Site Formation, and Palaeoenvironmental Context of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Occupations at Grassridge Rock Shelter (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
A reanalysis of Grassridge Rock Shelter in South Africa's Eastern Cape reveals pulsed human occupation from 43–28 ka, 13.5–11.6 ka, and 7.3–6.8 ka, interspersed with complex geogenic, anthropogenic, and biogenic inputs. This pattern mirrors broader Pleistocene-Holocene trends in South Africa's high-elevation grasslands, suggesting forager mobility was intricately linked to rapidly fluctuating palaeoenvironments during the last glacial-to-interglacial transition. The study combines optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating with sedimentological and microbotanical analyses to reconstruct site formation processes and environmental shifts, from cooler, drier MIS 3 grasslands to warmer, moister summer rainfall-dominated conditions in MIS 1.
New Excavations at Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a Stratigraphic and Taphonomic Evaluation
New excavations at Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, challenge previous assumptions about sediment movement and reveal a stable depositional history spanning the last 70,000 years. Contrary to earlier suggestions, high-resolution geoarchaeological analyses—including sedimentology, particle size distribution, cluster analysis, phytolith studies, and geochemical assessments (pH, loss on ignition, stable carbon isotopes)—demonstrate that the site’s stratigraphic integrity is intact, with no evidence of large-scale postdepositional disturbance. The study proposes a revised stratigraphic division for the Pleistocene sequence, showing that low-density archaeological horizons in the upper layers result from varying sedimentation rates rather than sediment movement. This finding provides critical insights into the Middle to Later Stone Age transition (~40,000–30,000 years BP) and contributes to understanding the emergence of modern human behavior in southern Africa.
Uncovering the Late Pleistocene LSA of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa: Early Results from Iron Pig Rock Shelter
Research at Iron Pig Rock Shelter, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, reveals new insights into the Late Pleistocene Later Stone Age (LSA) occupation of northeastern South Africa. The site provides a well-dated sequence from >16000 to <9000 cal BP, associated with the Robberg techno-complex. Lithic analysis of layers 5 and 6 suggests gradual temporal shifts in technology, indicating short-term changing traditions. Comparative review highlights significant research gaps in the region, emphasizing the need for further study. This work contributes to a broader understanding of human behavior during the Late Pleistocene in South Africa.
Ethnobotanical research at Klasies River linking past, present, and future
Klasies River, a significant archaeological site in South Africa's southern Cape coast, reveals a continuous human occupation from the Middle to Late Pleistocene and into the Holocene. Ethnobotanical research here shows that 84% of plants used today by local participants align with historical Khoi and San indigenous knowledge, while 42% also appear in archaeological records, indicating enduring plant-human interactions across millennia. This study underscores the importance of systematic ethnobotanical data collection, particularly from Khoi and San descendants, to better understand adaptive human-plant relationships shaped by intergenerational learning. The research employed semi-structured interviews and field walks with six local experts, using an interdisciplinary, abductive grounded theory approach.
New ages from Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, provide increased resolution on late/terminal Pleistocene human behavioural variability
A revised radiocarbon chronology for Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, reveals distinct patterns of human occupation during the late and terminal Pleistocene. The site experienced low-intensity occupations during the early Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) but saw intensive use in the terminal Pleistocene, coinciding with significant palaeoenvironmental and sea-level changes. Lithic analysis indicates adaptive technological strategies reflecting shifting mobility and site occupation patterns. This study challenges assumptions about hunter-gatherer behavior by highlighting variability that differs from twentieth-century Kalahari practices.
Phytoliths as an indicator of early modern humans plant gathering strategies, fire fuel and site occupation intensity during the Middle Stone Age at Pinnacle Point 5-6 (south coast, South Africa)
Research at Pinnacle Point 5-6 North (South Africa) reveals the first evidence of intentional gathering and use of Restionaceae family plants by Middle Stone Age hunter-gatherers, marking a significant shift in plant foraging strategies. The study used phytolith analysis to reconstruct past human behavior, showing that during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, humans built fast fires using grasses for potential shellfish cooking. By MIS 4, there was a transition toward intensive dry wood exploitation, likely to improve silcrete heating, coinciding with changes in stone tool technology and site occupation intensity. The findings highlight the complex interplay between human behavior, fire control, and environmental adaptation during this critical period of modern human emergence.
A microstratigraphic reevaluation of the Florisbad spring site, Free State Province, South Africa: Formation processes and paleoenvironment
A microstratigraphic reevaluation of the Florisbad spring site, South Africa, reveals that its deposits were formed by alternating aeolian sand layers reworked by lacustrine water during wet Pleistocene phases and peat layers formed in marshes during dry phases. This refined stratigraphic sequence confirms earlier paleoenvironmental reconstructions while providing new insights into the formation processes of the site's sediments, which contain Middle Stone Age artifacts and fossil bones dating to the Middle Pleistocene. The study used a multianalytical approach including sediment micromorphology, FTIR, and XRD to analyze sediments in their original context, addressing previous limitations in understanding the genesis of these deposits.
Lithic technological responses to Late Pleistocene glacial cycling at Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, South Africa
A groundbreaking analysis of lithic technology at Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, South Africa, reveals that early modern humans adapted their tool-making behaviors during the Late Pleistocene glacial cycle. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, this study identifies significant associations between technological traits and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4 and 3, including increased use of quartz, shifts in raw material sourcing, and changes in flaking efficiency and tool functionality. These findings suggest that foragers responded to MIS 4 glacial conditions with larger population or group sizes, longer site occupations, and reduced residential mobility—implying a strategic adaptation to environmental pressures. The study's rigorous statistical evaluation of 93 lithic traits without preconceived assumptions provides compelling evidence linking climate change to human behavioral shifts, challenging earlier claims of minimal technological response.
Refining Our Understanding of Howiesons Poort Lithic Technology: The Evidence from Grey Rocky Layer in Sibudu Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
A detailed technological analysis of the Grey Rocky Layer in Sibudu Cave, South Africa, reveals significant advancements in Howiesons Poort lithic technology during the late Pleistocene. The study highlights the importance of blade production using diverse knapping methods, alongside flaking techniques tailored to coarse-grained rock types. Additionally, it identifies new strategies for bifacial production and microlithism, demonstrating a versatile reduction strategy influenced by rock characteristics. This technological variability suggests potential diachronic, functional, or organizational differences among Howiesons Poort sites, while also showing clear links with other Middle Stone Age assemblages. The findings underscore the unique character of the Howiesons Poort technocomplex and its connections to pre-Still Bay and post-Howiosons Poort industries.
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