100th century BCE
South African south coast
Klasies River Mouth Caves are a major southern African archaeological site complex preserving an extensive Middle Stone Age occupation sequence. The deposits record repeated human use from more than 125,000 to 70,000 BP, including marine and terrestrial food exploitation, technological change, a Howieson's Poort horizon, and abandonment during sea-level regression at the onset of the Last Glacial.
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The Story
Klasies River Mouth Caves contain the most informative chronostratigraphic record described in the excerpt for the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa. Their occupation deposits span the Last Interglacial and the early part of the Last Glacial, from more than 125,000 to 70,000 BP. The sequence is approximately 22 metres thick and consists of sand, shells, and silt resting on and intercalated with the upper part of a Last Interglacial beach deposit.
Throughout the principal Middle Stone Age sequence, inhabitants used marine as well as terrestrial foods, showing that the coast remained nearby. Marine resources declined only in the youngest Middle Stone Age levels. The cave was then abandoned and was not reoccupied until about 6,000 years ago, when the sea had returned close to its present level.
The sequence contains three principal industrial stages. The earliest MSA industries I and II show an overall reduction in artifact size through time, abundant long blades and blade cores, and little evidence for Levallois or discoid-core technology. Formal tools are few apart from points, while discontinuous marginal retouch and utilization are common.
A Howieson's Poort industry with backed blade forms overlies these early deposits. It is followed by a return to a less formal tradition in MSA III and IV, in which small unifacial points, denticulates, and scrapers give way to pointed flake-blades and smaller blades. Occupation became sporadic toward the beginning of the Last Glacial and ended during the regression associated with lower sea levels.
100th century BCE
South African south coast
Klasies River Mouth Caves are a major southern African archaeological site complex preserving an extensive Middle Stone Age occupation sequence. The deposits record repeated human use from more than 125,000 to 70,000 BP, including marine and terrestrial food exploitation, technological change, a Howieson's Poort horizon, and abandonment during sea-level regression at the onset of the Last Glacial.
Continue exploring
The Story
Klasies River Mouth Caves contain the most informative chronostratigraphic record described in the excerpt for the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa. Their occupation deposits span the Last Interglacial and the early part of the Last Glacial, from more than 125,000 to 70,000 BP. The sequence is approximately 22 metres thick and consists of sand, shells, and silt resting on and intercalated with the upper part of a Last Interglacial beach deposit.
Throughout the principal Middle Stone Age sequence, inhabitants used marine as well as terrestrial foods, showing that the coast remained nearby. Marine resources declined only in the youngest Middle Stone Age levels. The cave was then abandoned and was not reoccupied until about 6,000 years ago, when the sea had returned close to its present level.
The sequence contains three principal industrial stages. The earliest MSA industries I and II show an overall reduction in artifact size through time, abundant long blades and blade cores, and little evidence for Levallois or discoid-core technology. Formal tools are few apart from points, while discontinuous marginal retouch and utilization are common.
A Howieson's Poort industry with backed blade forms overlies these early deposits. It is followed by a return to a less formal tradition in MSA III and IV, in which small unifacial points, denticulates, and scrapers give way to pointed flake-blades and smaller blades. Occupation became sporadic toward the beginning of the Last Glacial and ended during the regression associated with lower sea levels.
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