30th century BCE – 15th century BCE
Southern edge of the Kafue Flats, Zambia
Gwisho Hotsprings provides the clearest archaeological picture of the Zambian Wilton Later Stone Age. The settlement occupied a rich game environment for approximately one and a half millennia beginning shortly after 3000 BC. Excavations revealed grass-lined sleeping hollows, wind-break post settings, microlithic tools, wooden implements, bone artifacts, shell beads, and more than thirty burials. The assemblage reflects intensive exploitation of game and plant resources.
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The Story
Gwisho Hotsprings lies on the southern edge of the Kafue Flats in an exceptionally rich game environment. Later Stone Age inhabitants exploited this setting for roughly one and a half millennia, beginning shortly after 3000 BC, and the waterlogged deposits preserved organic materials rarely available elsewhere.
The settlement contained grass-lined hollows probably used for sleeping and post settings interpreted as wind-breaks. Excavations did not isolate individual occupation phases, so the deposits offer limited evidence for settlement plans or technological change, despite their unusually rich preservation.
The lithic assemblage, attributed to the Zambian Wilton, was dominated by crescents, backed flakes, and backed bladelets. Geometric microliths were uncommon, scrapers were generally small and convex, and bored stones and ground axes were extremely rare. Grinding and pounding stones probably supported the preparation of vegetable foods.
Wood and bone objects were numerous. Selected hardwoods, especially Baikiaea plurijuga, supplied digging-sticks, bows, arrow-heads, and fire drills; bone was used for points, bodkins, and decorated tubes. More than thirty people were buried in shallow graves within the settlement, generally extended and accompanied only by shell beads.
30th century BCE – 15th century BCE
Southern edge of the Kafue Flats, Zambia
Gwisho Hotsprings provides the clearest archaeological picture of the Zambian Wilton Later Stone Age. The settlement occupied a rich game environment for approximately one and a half millennia beginning shortly after 3000 BC. Excavations revealed grass-lined sleeping hollows, wind-break post settings, microlithic tools, wooden implements, bone artifacts, shell beads, and more than thirty burials. The assemblage reflects intensive exploitation of game and plant resources.
Continue exploring
The Story
Gwisho Hotsprings lies on the southern edge of the Kafue Flats in an exceptionally rich game environment. Later Stone Age inhabitants exploited this setting for roughly one and a half millennia, beginning shortly after 3000 BC, and the waterlogged deposits preserved organic materials rarely available elsewhere.
The settlement contained grass-lined hollows probably used for sleeping and post settings interpreted as wind-breaks. Excavations did not isolate individual occupation phases, so the deposits offer limited evidence for settlement plans or technological change, despite their unusually rich preservation.
The lithic assemblage, attributed to the Zambian Wilton, was dominated by crescents, backed flakes, and backed bladelets. Geometric microliths were uncommon, scrapers were generally small and convex, and bored stones and ground axes were extremely rare. Grinding and pounding stones probably supported the preparation of vegetable foods.
Wood and bone objects were numerous. Selected hardwoods, especially Baikiaea plurijuga, supplied digging-sticks, bows, arrow-heads, and fire drills; bone was used for points, bodkins, and decorated tubes. More than thirty people were buried in shallow graves within the settlement, generally extended and accompanied only by shell beads.