100th century BCE
Southern Africa
The Howieson's Poort Complex is a Middle Stone Age archaeological tradition distinguished by increased production of bladelets, backed blades, lunates, and related small tools. It appears in several southern African cave sequences, sometimes between earlier and later Middle Stone Age assemblages. Its chronological and cultural relationship to other complexes remains uncertain and may vary by region.
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The Story
Howieson's Poort assemblages are identified by a notable increase in bladelets, true lunates, and backed blades, generally accompanied by a reduction in artifact dimensions. They may also contain forms associated with the Bambata Complex, but their smaller blade-based toolkit gives them a distinctive technological profile within southern African Middle Stone Age archaeology.
At Klasies River Mouth, a Howieson's Poort blade industry lies above earlier Middle Stone Age industries and is described as sufficiently different to indicate contrasting exploitation techniques. It is associated with a marked cool oscillation within the Last Interglacial at about 95,000 BP. At Nelson Bay Cave, backed blades and crescents characterize a Howieson's Poort assemblage above an earlier Middle Stone Age phase.
The tradition also occurs at Boomplaas Cave, where a Howieson's Poort industry with backed blades belongs to the lower part of a sequence extending from about 80,000 years ago. At Montagu, assemblages comparable to Howieson's Poort include backed and truncated blades and flakes, lunates, burins, and small artifacts made from quartz and chalcedony. The excerpt cautions that labels can conceal superficial resemblance, citing uncertain attribution at Rose Cottage Cave.
Howieson's Poort does not necessarily represent a single chronological stage replacing all other Middle Stone Age traditions. The broader evidence allows for sequences that are successive, contemporaneous, overlapping, or transgressive across time and space. Reliable stratified and dated assemblages are required before its wider historical significance can be established.
100th century BCE
Southern Africa
The Howieson's Poort Complex is a Middle Stone Age archaeological tradition distinguished by increased production of bladelets, backed blades, lunates, and related small tools. It appears in several southern African cave sequences, sometimes between earlier and later Middle Stone Age assemblages. Its chronological and cultural relationship to other complexes remains uncertain and may vary by region.
Continue exploring
The Story
Howieson's Poort assemblages are identified by a notable increase in bladelets, true lunates, and backed blades, generally accompanied by a reduction in artifact dimensions. They may also contain forms associated with the Bambata Complex, but their smaller blade-based toolkit gives them a distinctive technological profile within southern African Middle Stone Age archaeology.
At Klasies River Mouth, a Howieson's Poort blade industry lies above earlier Middle Stone Age industries and is described as sufficiently different to indicate contrasting exploitation techniques. It is associated with a marked cool oscillation within the Last Interglacial at about 95,000 BP. At Nelson Bay Cave, backed blades and crescents characterize a Howieson's Poort assemblage above an earlier Middle Stone Age phase.
The tradition also occurs at Boomplaas Cave, where a Howieson's Poort industry with backed blades belongs to the lower part of a sequence extending from about 80,000 years ago. At Montagu, assemblages comparable to Howieson's Poort include backed and truncated blades and flakes, lunates, burins, and small artifacts made from quartz and chalcedony. The excerpt cautions that labels can conceal superficial resemblance, citing uncertain attribution at Rose Cottage Cave.
Howieson's Poort does not necessarily represent a single chronological stage replacing all other Middle Stone Age traditions. The broader evidence allows for sequences that are successive, contemporaneous, overlapping, or transgressive across time and space. Reliable stratified and dated assemblages are required before its wider historical significance can be established.