Site Distribution and Chronology at Soutpansklipheuwel, a Rocky Outcrop on the West Coast of South Africa

ABSTRACT

Archaeological research along the West Coast of South Africa has unveiled a diversity of Holocene adaptive strategies as shown by the different type, size, composition, and distribution of sites and their faunal and artifactual contents. Some differences and similarities are apparent between the northerly semi-desert of Namaqualand and the more central Lamberts Bay and Elands Bay areas. On first impression, this archaeological variability seems related to environmental gradients, human demographics, related divergent economic developments, and perhaps to different contexts for cultural contact between indigenous populations. However, differences between Namaqualand and the central parts of the West Coast need to be assessed more closely in order to understand the influence of environmental and cultural/behavioral variables that could have shaped them and their geographic interaction. Sampling of locations near Lamberts Bay and the southern parts of Namaqualand has become vital. Here we present first observations on a survey and broad chronology at one such locality, namely Soutpansklipheuwel outcrop. First results reveal a millennia-long history of occupation. Possible shared attributes that respond to biogeographic and cultural variables are outlined.

Keywords:

• Holocene
• Lamberts Bay
• limpets
• Medieval Warm Epoch
• shell midden

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are very grateful to Mr. Jan Pretorius for allowing us to work in his property and to Christie and Elmrie Rheeder from Nortier research farm for accommodation during field work. We are also in debt to Dr. Antonia Malan for identifying most of the European artifacts and to Anne Solomon for comments on rock art. We gratefully acknowledge Jayson Orton for commenting on an earlier draft of this paper. This article also benefited from useful comments and suggestions by three anonymous reviewers. Thanks are also extended to Heritage Western Cape (APM Committee) and the South African Heritage Resources Agency for providing, respectively, a permit (No. 2010/03/002) for test excavations and a permanent export permit (No. 80/10/11/003/52) for the purpose of radiocarbon submissions to the Center for Applied Isotope Studies at the University of Georgia. Funding for this project from the Fullerheim Private Trust is greatly acknowledged.