Two Holocene Later Stone Age stratigraphies from the Sesfontein area, northwestern Namibia

ABSTRACT

Stratified rockshelter deposits form the most important source of information on the prehistoric hunter-gatherers of the Namibian Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA). This paper reports on two new test excavations conducted at rockshelters in the Sesfontein area in northwestern Namibia in 2005. Both archaeological sites are located between two archaeologically well researched regions, to the north Kunene and to the south the Brandberg and Erongo. Although the stratigraphies are rather problematic with regard to taphonomic integrity, their study identifies information that can be reliably used in order to contribute to our knowledge of prehistoric LSA hunter-gatherer societies in Namibia. The cultural material is examined in relation to available environmental, contextual and taphonomic data.

RESUME

Les dépôts stratifiés dans les abris sous roche forment la plus importante source d'information dont nous disposons concernant les chasseurs-cueilleurs préhistoriques de l’Age de la Pierre Récent (LSA) de l’Holocène de Namibie. Cet article présente deux nouvelles fouilles effectuées dans des abris sous roche dans la région de Sesfontein au nord-ouest de la Namibie en 2005. Les deux sites archéologiques sont situés entre deux régions archéologiquement bien documentées, à savoir au nord celle de Kunene et au sud celles du Brandberg et d’Erongo. Bien que les stratigraphies soient assez problématiques pour ce qui concerne l'intégrité taphonomique, leur étude identifie néanmoins des informations qui peuvent être utilisées de manière fiable afin de contribuer à notre connaissance des sociétés de chasseurs-cueilleurs préhistoriques du LSA en Namibie. Le matériel culturel est examiné en relation aux données environnementales, contextuelles et taphonomiques disponibles.

KEYWORDS:

• Namibia
• Holocene
• Later Stone Age
• rockshelter stratigraphies
• lithic technology
• ostrich eggshell beads

Acknowledgements

Generous funding of the collaborative research centre 389 (ACACIA) by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) allowed me to write my MA thesis using parts of the present paper. Jürgen Richter and Ralf Vogelsang of the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne are thanked for their supervision and support. Publication was supported by a University Research Council grant by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, hosted by Karim Sadr. The National Heritage Council of Namibia (April Salomon), as well as the Archaeology Department of the National Museum of Namibia (Esther Moombolah-/Goagoses, Emma Imalwa, Fousy Kambombo), are thanked for providing permission for excavation and export of findings. This paper has benefitted from the comments and help of Karim Sadr, Isabell Schmidt (artefact drawings), Pieter Grootes (radiocarbon dating), Joris Peters (faunal analyses) and Barbara Eichhorn (anthracological analyses). Two anonymous reviewers and Isabell Schmidt are thanked for very helpful and valuable comments. Felix Henselowsky kindly provided Figure 2. If not indicated otherwise, all photographs and illustrations are by the author.

Notes on contributor

Götz Ossendorf’s main research interest is the archaeology of African hunter-gatherers. He received his Master’s and PhD degree at the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Currently, he is a member of an interdisciplinary research unit examining human settlement and environmental history of high altitude ecosystems at the Bale Mountains (Ethiopia). He is also engaged in a geoarchaeological project investigating Late Pleistocene and Holocene occupations at the margins of the Namib Desert.

Notes

All the radiocarbon dates cited are indicated as cal. BC/cal. AD with the calibration carried out with the CalPal software (Weninger et al. 2008).