South Africa (Archaeology)

Forthcoming. Presenting indigenous rock art, empowering local communities: new visitor centres in South Africa, Australia, and Texas

by Jamie Hampson

2004. Cultural identity and animals in the rock art of Bongani Game Reserve, South Africa

by Jamie Hampson

Ecological Journal 6: 20–25

2002. Science and the sacred: discovering southern African rock art

by Jamie Hampson

TRACCE Footsteps of Man online bulletin

2000. Threads of light: re-examining a motif in southern African San rock art research

by Jamie Hampson

With Lewis-Williams, J. D, Blundell, G. and Challis, W.
South African Archaeological Bulletin 55: 123–136.

Forthcoming. Rock paintings and quartz in Mpumalanga, South Africa

by Jamie Hampson

2002. The rock art of Bongani Mountain Lodge and its environs, Mpumalanga Province: an introduction to problems of southern African rock art regions

by Jamie Hampson

South African Archaeological Bulletin 57: 15-30.
With W. Challis, G. Blundell and C. De Rosner.

2010. Rock art regionalism, identity, and heritage: case studies from the Texas Trans-Pecos and South Africa

by Jamie Hampson

La Pintura 36(3): 4–9.

Afromontane foragers of the Late Pleistocene: Site formation, chronology and occupational pulsing at Melikane Rockshelter, Lesotho

by Mike Morley

Quaternary International (in press), 2012

Brian A. Stewart, Genevieve I. Dewar, Mike W. Morley, Robyn H. Inglis, Mark Wheeler, Zenobia Jacobs, Richard G. Roberts

This paper provides a preliminary chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework for the Late Pleistocene... more This paper provides a preliminary chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework for the Late Pleistocene archaeological sequence at Melikane Rockshelter in mountainous eastern Lesotho. Renewed excavations at Melikane form part of a larger project investigating marginal landscape use by Late Pleistocene foragers in southern Africa. Geoarchaeological work undertaken at the site supports in-field observations that Melikane experienced regular, often intensive, input of groundwater via fissures in the shelter’s rear wall. This strong hydrogeological connection resulted in episodic disturbances of the sedimentary sequence, exacerbated by other processes such as bioturbation. Despite this taphonomic complexity, a robust chronology for Melikane has been developed, based on tightly cross-correlated accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C with acid-base-wet oxidation stepped combustion (ABOx-SC) pretreatment and single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The results show that human occupation of Melikane was strongly pulsed, with episodes of Late Pleistocene occupation at c.80, c.60, c.50, c.46-38 and c.24 ka. At least three additional occupational pulses occurred in the Holocene at c.9 ka, c.3 ka and in the second millennium AD, but these are dealt with only briefly in this paper. Implications of the Late Pleistocene pulsing for the colonisation of high elevations by early modern humans in Africa ahead of dispersals into challenging landscapes beyond the continent are discussed.

The Visibility and Invisibility of herders' Kraals in Southern Africa, with Reference to a Possible Early Contact Period Khoekhoe Kraal at KFS 5, Western Cape

by François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar

Co-authored with Karim Sadr, François Bon and Detlef Gronenborn.
Published in "Journal of African Archaeology" 4 (2), 2006, pp. 253-271.

The Europeans who landed on the shores of the South African Cape from the late 15th century onwards encountered local... more The Europeans who landed on the shores of the South African Cape from the late 15th century onwards encountered local herders whom they later referred to as the Hottentots (now known as the Khoekhoe). There are written references to the settlements and livestock of these pastoralists, but archaeologists have not had much success in discovering any such sites. This absence of archaeological evidence for recent Khoekhoe kraals has been interpreted by some scholars as an indication for a general archaeological invisibility of nomadic pastoralist sites. This article reports on the archaeology of an extensive, low density surface spread of artefacts, KFS 5 (Western Cape), which possibly represents a Khoekhoe kraal dating to the time of the first contact with Europeans. Data are compared to other archaeological evidence of cattle pens in southern Africa and the issues of the visibility of prehistoric and historic kraals are re-addressed.

La retouche par pression à Blombos, Afrique du Sud

by Vincent Mourre

Mourre, V. (2011) - « La retouche par pression à Blombos, Afrique du Sud », in: Universalia 2011, Encyclopædia Universalis, p. 263.

The Still Bay points of Blombos Cave (South Africa)

by Vincent Mourre

Villa, P., Soressi, M., Henshilwood, C.S. et Mourre, V. (2009) - « The Still Bay points of Blombos Cave (South Africa) », Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 36, 2, pp. 441-460.

We present the results of a technological and morphometric analysis of all the Still Bay points (n = 371) recovered... more We present the results of a technological and morphometric analysis of all the Still Bay points (n = 371) recovered from the 1993 to 2004 excavations at Blombos Cave. We have been able to reconstruct the manufacturing sequence of the bifacial points from initial shaping, by direct internal percussion, to finished morphology, by direct marginal percussion. Identifications of impact fractures and manufacturing breaks are based on comparisons with experimental and archaeological bifacial points of verified function, i.e. Paleoindian points from bison kill sites, replicates of Solutrean points mounted as spear-heads or arrowheads and shot into adult cattle, and experimental replication on local raw materials. Our analysis shows that: (a) only a minority of the points are finished forms, and that a large number of pieces are production failures, a situation known at bifacial point production sites of later ages; (b) morphometric and impact scar analyses should take into account this process and distinguish finished points from preforms and unfinished points; (c) there were at least three different kinds of raw material sources and that there is a marked increase in the frequencies of silcrete with respect to theM2 andM3 phases at Blombos; (d) three kinds of evidence prove that some of the points were hafted axially and used as spear tips; (e) production of bifacial points was a primary activity at the site but the hypothesis of intergroup exchange of Still Bay points cannot be sustained on the basis of present evidence; and (f) the Still Bay phase appears to initiate a trend to relatively rapid changes in specialized hunting weaponry and that this innovation is congruent with other innovations such as bone tools, shell beads and engraved ochre of the M1 and M2 phases at Blombos.

Essai de reconstitution d'un panneau rupestre: la scène de bataille de «Christol Cave», Afrique du Sud

by François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar

Co-authored with Jean-Loïc Le Quellec and François Bon
Published in "L'Anthropologie", 113 (2009), pp. 820-838.

The South African rock art ‘‘battle-scene’’ of ‘‘Christol Cave’’ is well known to all specialists of rock art studies.... more The South African rock art ‘‘battle-scene’’ of ‘‘Christol Cave’’ is well known to all specialists of rock art studies. But this scene is today considerably damaged. Using the abundant documentation available, this article provides a tentative reconstitution of it, following a method borrowed to philology.

Trends and traps in the reconstruction of early herding societies in Southern Africa

by François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar

Co-authored with Karim Sadr.
Published in "Southern African Humanities", 20, 2008, pp. 1-6

Ellipsoid grinding hollows on the West coast of South Africa

by François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar

Co-authored with Karim Sadr.
Published in "Southern African Humanities", 18 (2), 2006, pp. 29-50.

Grinding hollows are found on rocks throughout much of Africa. Several sub-types exist, and Nick Walker has recently... more Grinding hollows are found on rocks throughout much of Africa. Several sub-types exist, and Nick Walker has recently proposed the term ‘ellipsoids’ to describe those polished grooves, which are U-shaped in crosssection and have a canoe-shaped longitudinal profile. They are the result of a to-and-fro grinding action. Found on horizontal surfaces, ellipsoids are considered utilitarian objects, and many possible grinding functions have been attributed to them. Over a hundred such ellipsoids are recorded on the hill Kasteelberg, west coast of South Africa. Morphologically, the Kasteelberg examples resemble ellipsoids found as far north as the Tsodilo Hills in north-western Botswana. Although their specific function remains enigmatic, we argue that the Kasteelberg examples represent intensification in commodity production. Various lines of evidence suggest that this intensification took place during the early second millennium AD. Similar cases of intensified production can be seen at many sites of this period in Botswana and northern Namibia, where they have been interpreted as a response to the contemporary economic boom in the Shashe-Limpopo basin.
Might the massed grinding hollows of Kasteelberg represent a similar economic reaction?

Bushmen arrows and their recent history: Crossed outlooks of historical, ethnological and archaeological sources

by François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar

Co-authored with Bruno Bosc-Zanardo and François Bon.
Published in "Palethnologie" (online journal), 1 (2008), pp. 341-360 (English version).
Downloadable in both English and French.

Bushmen weapons were considered very early by ethnology: the vision of these nomadic hunter-gatherers walking away... more Bushmen weapons were considered very early by ethnology: the vision of these nomadic hunter-gatherers walking away into the horizon of the Kalahari Desert, with their bows and arrows on their back, is one of the most iconic representations of this disappearing lifestyle. Besides the technical values that were brought into play in the making of this equipment, their role as vector of social values has also been greatly illustrated. It has been shown, in particular, the way in which an arrow creates a link between the hunter and his prey, but also the interactions the arrow conveys between the user of the weapon and the social networks to which he belongs. Nevertheless, most reference systems are based on the equipment of sub-contemporary and current populations, i.e. on those used by groups occupying a limited territory in the Kalahari Desert, straddling Botswana and Namibia. Yet, only a few decades ago, Bushmen occupied much vaster areas, corresponding to a large western half of Southern Africa, involving the exploitation of territories ecologically more contrasted than today. In addition, the socio-economic status of the ancestors of today’s Bushmen was, it seems, more diversified: groups of nomadic hunter gatherers lived side by side with pastoralists (who also practiced hunting), and it is likely that both sides belonged, to a greater or lesser degree, to societies with close links between them. Research works realised on several collections of bows and arrows kept in South African museums and compared with historical sources (travel accounts from the 16th to the 19th centuries in particular), also bring to light greater diversity: the diversity of the actual armoury (the spear, the club and the throwing stick in addition to the bows and arrows); diversity in the way the arrows are actually made; and the diversity of their supposed functions (from hunting to war). Behind such diversity, we can try to grasp the complexity of the recent history of the Bushmen populations.

Les flèches bushmen dans le ciel changeant de leur histoire récente

by François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar

Co-authored with Bruno Bosc-Zanardo and François Bon.
Published in "Palethnologie" (online journal), 1 (2008), pp. 352-371 (French version).
Downloadable in both French and English

Les armes des Bushmen ont très tôt été consacrées par l’ethnologie : la vision de ces chasseurs-cueilleurs nomades,... more Les armes des Bushmen ont très tôt été consacrées par l’ethnologie : la vision de ces chasseurs-cueilleurs nomades, s’éloignant dans le paysage désertique du Kalahari avec leurs arcs et flèches sur leur dos, est l’une des représentations les plus emblématiques de ce mode de vie en voie de disparition. Outre les valeurs techniques mises en jeu dans la réalisation de cet équipement, leur rôle en tant que vecteur de valeurs sociales
a également été richement illustré. En particulier, il a été montré de quelle façon la flèche trace un lien entre le chasseur et sa proie, mais aussi quelles interactions elle véhicule entre l’utilisateur de l’arme et les réseaux sociaux auxquels il appartient. Néanmoins, la plupart des référentiels sont fondés sur les équipements de populations actuelles et sub-actuelles, c’est-à-dire sur ceux utilisés par des groupes occupant un territoire limité au désert du Kalahari, à cheval sur le Botswana et la Namibie. Or, il y a quelques décennies seulement, les Bushmen occupaient des aires beaucoup plus vastes, correspondant à une large moitié occidentale de l’Afrique australe, impliquant l’exploitation de territoires écologiquement plus contrastés qu’aujourd’hui. En outre, le statut socio-économique de ces ancêtres des Bushmen actuels était, semble t-il, plus diversifié : des groupes de chasseurs-cueilleurs nomades voisinaient avec des pasteurs (pratiquant également la chasse) et il est vraisemblable que les uns et les autres aient peu ou prou appartenus à des sociétés étroitement liées entre elles. Les travaux réalisés sur plusieurs collections de flèches et d’arcs conservés dans des musées sud-africains, confrontés aux sources historiques (en particulier des récits de voyage des XVI-XIXe siècles), mettent également en lumière une plus grande diversité : diversité de la panoplie d’armes elles-mêmes (la lance, le casse-tête et le bâton de jet s’ajoutant aux seuls arcs et flèches) ; diversité dans la confection des flèches proprement dites ; diversité de leurs fonctions présumées (de la chasse à la guerre). Derrière cette diversité, c’est toute la complexité de l’histoire récente des populations Bushmen que l’on peut tenter d’appréhender.

Probable Human Hair Found In a Fossil Hyaena Coprolite From Gladysvale Cave, South Africa

by Robyn Pickering

Backwell, L.R., Pickering, R., Brothwell, D., Berger, L.R., Witcomb, M., Martill, D., Penkman, K. & Wilson, A. 2009. Probable human hair found in a fossil hyaena coprolite from Gladysvale cave, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science. 36(6): 1269-1276.

Overview and Broader Significance of the ESA and MSA at the Cave of Hearths

by David Underhill

Co-authored with McNabb and Sinclair, In McNabb, J. and Sinclair, A. The Cave of Hearths: Makapan Middle Pleistocene Research Project: Field Research by Anthony Sinclair and Patrick Quinney, 1996-2001. Oxford: Archaeopress; University of Southampton Series in Archaeology (1)

Subjectivity inherent in by-eye symmetry judgements and the large cutting tools at the Cave of Hearths, Limpopo Province, South Africa

by David Underhill

Published Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, 2007

The Stone Age of South Africa is an area of study due for a renaissance, and there is a real need for unification of... more The Stone Age of South Africa is an area of study due for a renaissance, and there is a real need for unification of the extant evidence. As a beginning to this, new methodologies have been proposed. This paper tackles the issue of symmetry, specifically the subjectivity involved in by-eye judgements. Assumptions of subjectivity, however, are not proof: presented here is a critical analysis of the inherent bias of by-eye symmetry judgements. Ultimately it is clear that the method contains a level of subjectivity which strips it of any analytical value. The by-eye judgement of symmetry is replaced by the more robust Flip Test computer program, and a brief study is made of the Large Cutting Tools (LCT) at a vitally important, yet often overlooked, site dating from the Pleistocene in South Africa, the Cave of Hearths, Limpopo province. The corollary is that the symmetry present in the Cave of Hearths Large Cutting Tools can be studied with some measure of confidence: suggestions are made regarding the nature of tool typologies and the knappers’ ultimate focus on tip shape and utility.

A History of Stone Age Archaeological Study in South Africa

by David Underhill

Published in: South African Archaeological Bulletin 66 (193): 3–14

The development of Stone Age archaeology in South Africa has a long and chequered history. It is now over 80 years... more The development of Stone Age archaeology in South Africa has a long and chequered history. It is now over 80 years since the discipline was placed on a firm, international, scientific footing. Since then, several histories of its development have been produced, although most of these focus on the country’s rich ethnography, with few discussing the development of Stone Age archaeology in any detail. However, throughout its early history, the study of the Stone Age in South Africa was tied to international developments in archaeology and strong links existed withmanyof the world’s leading authorities. Unfortunately,
social and political developments in South Africa stunted the discipline’s growth, leaving it for many years in a formof limbo from which, I argue, it has still not fully recovered. What I present here is a review that largely follows an historical narrative of the development of Stone Age studies in the country, in which I highlight some shortcomings. Major issues discussed are a lack of accepted typological or terminological understandings of the evidence as well as the influence of individual workers’ own intuitive knowledge. It is hoped that realising the origins of these problems will aid in developing a comprehension of them. In
turn it is hoped that, just as the country’s Stone Age Archaeology is re-emerging onto the international scene, this shall allow fruitful discussions on terminology to re-emerge and the country’s vast wealth of material may begin to be understood in relation to the rest of the world, and in many cases in relation to other material within South Africa itself.