Temporal perspectives on Still Bay point production at Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, in the context of southern Africa

ABSTRACT

Based on optically stimulated luminescence age estimates it has been argued that the Still Bay represents a sudden, short-lived technological innovation dating to about 72–71 kya. Yet, few sites have the stratigraphic integrity and Still Bay point assemblage size to test this assumption. The Wadley deep sounding of Sibudu Cave provides such an opportunity. Here we use fine-grained analyses consisting of technological attributes and morphometric data to explore the retouched point assemblages of Sibudu over a period of more than ten thousand years spanning the Still Bay. Although we found subtle changes through time, we found no evidence of a technological break in retouched point-production strategies since the Wadley early pre-Still Bay at more than 77 kya through to the final Still Bay/early Howiesons Poort dating to 64.7 ± 2.3 kya. We did, however, uncover a potential point-production hiatus at the site and we present testable hypotheses for this phenomenon. We further contextualise the Sibudu assemblages within southern Africa by directly comparing them with those of Hollow Rock Shelter, Umhlatuzana and Apollo 11. Although our results demonstrate both variation and similarities between the different Still Bay assemblages, we could not replicate a previous suggestion regarding technical disconnection between a north-east/south-west axis on the greater landscape.

RÉSUMÉ

Il a été avancé sur la base de datations par luminescence stimulée optiquement que le Still Bay représente une innovation technologique soudaine et de courte durée vers 72-71 kya. Pourtant, peu de sites possèdent l’intégrité stratigraphique et un assemblage de pointes Still Bay adéquats pour vérifier cette hypothèse. Le sondage profond fouillé par l’équipe de Wadley dans la grotte de Sibudu offre une telle opportunité. Nous utilisons ici des analyses détaillées des attributs technologiques et des données morphométriques pour examiner les assemblages de pointes retouchées de Sibudu sur une période de plus de dix mille ans couvrant tout le Still Bay. Bien que nous ayons constaté des changements subtils au fil du temps, nous n’avons trouvé aucun signe d’une rupture technologique dans les stratégies de production de pointes retouchées, et ce durant toute la période allant du pré-Still Bay défini par Wadley, à plus de 77 kya, jusqu’au Still Bay final/ Howiesons Poort ancien datant de 64,7 ± 2,3 kya. Nous avons toutefois découvert un hiatus potentiel dans la production de pointes sur le site, et nous présentons des hypothèses vérifiables pour expliquer ce phénomène. Nous contextualisons par ailleurs les assemblages de Sibudu plus largement en Afrique australe en les comparant directement avec ceux de Hollow Rock Shelter, Umhlatuzana et Apollo 11. Bien que nos résultats démontrent à la fois des différences et des similarités entre les différents assemblages Still Bay, nous n’avons pas pu reproduire la suggestion qui a été faite antérieurement concernant une déconnexion technique suivant un axe nord-est/sud-ouest dans le paysage.

KEYWORDS:

• Middle Stone Age
• southern Africa
• Still Bay Points
• Sibudu Cave
• lithic analysis

Acknowledgements

We thank two anonymous reviewers for reading this manuscript and making constructive suggestions about how to improve it. The research of Lombard and Wadley is funded by African Origins Platform Grants (number 98815 to ML and number 98827 to LW) awarded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa and that of Högberg by a grant (71- 2014-2100) received from the Swedish Research Council. Opinions and mistakes remain our own and cannot be ascribed to the funding agencies.

Note on contributors

Marlize Lombard is the Research Chair of the Palaeo-Research Institute at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her research agenda is geared towards reconstructing the evolution of Homo sapiens in southern Africa biologically, behaviourally and cognitively.

Anders Högberg is Professor of Archaeology at Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden, and a research fellow at the Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is currently working on projects in heritage studies and human cognitive evolution. He is also associated with the project Heritage Futures, conducting research on nuclear waste as future heritage.

Lyn Wadley is an Honorary Professor of Archaeology in the Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Her research interests include the Middle Stone Age, experimental archaeology and cognitive archaeology. She has excavated at many South African sites, for example Sibudu and Rose Cottage Caves.

ORCID

Anders Högberg http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8747-4131