The refugia hypothesis, often used to explain Amazonia's high biodiversity, initially received am... more The refugia hypothesis, often used to explain Amazonia's high biodiversity, initially received ample support but has garnered increasing criticism over time. Palynological, phylogenetic, and vegetation model reconstruction studies have been invoked to support the opposing arguments of extensive fragmentation versus a stable Amazonian Forest during Pleistocene glacial maxima. Here, we test the past existence of forest fragments and savanna connectivity by bias-correcting vegetation distributions from a Dynamic Vegetation Model (DVM) driven by paleoclimate simulations for South America during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We find evidence for fragmented forests akin to refugia with extensive tropical humid forests to the west and forest islands in central/southern Amazonia. Drier ecosystems of Northern Llanos, Caatinga and Cerrado may have merged into continuous savanna/grasslands that dominated the continent. However, our reconstructions suggest taller, dense woodland/tropical savanna vegetation and areas of similar bioclimate connected disparate forest fragments across Amazonia. This ecotonal biome may have acted as a corridor for generalist forest and savanna species, creating connectivity that allows for range expansion during glacial periods. Simultaneously, it could have served as a barrier for specialists, inducing diversification through the formation of 'semi-refugia'.
The extinction of Neanderthal populations has been attributed to the onset of cold and dry climat... more The extinction of Neanderthal populations has been attributed to the onset of cold and dry climatic conditions during Marine Isotope Stage 3 or their competition with anatomically modern humans for large game resources. However, decoupling climate from competition has long proved difficult. Loess sequences and pollen cores provide regional-scale environmental information but are less well-suited to providing local-scale habitat information contemporaneous with hominin habitation of occupation sites. The relationship between climate and resource availability is particularly unknown in the Zagros mountain range where archaeological evidence for both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens occupation is documented. Here, we analyse carbon (δ 13 C) and oxygen (δ 18 O) stable isotopes measured from herbivore tooth enamel carbonates recovered from the Neanderthal and modern human occupation sites of Bawa Yawan Rockshelter and Shanidar Cave to trace local-scale floral biome dynamics and climate conditions that influence the distribution and availability of large prey targeted by both hominin species. Shared isotopic composition of herbivorous fauna, largely represented by wild goats, from both sites spanning Neanderthal and Homo sapiens occupation indicate both hominin species exploited similar habitats during climatically similar phases.
Although the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa, associated with major cultural innovation... more Although the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa, associated with major cultural innovation including aspects of symbolic behavior and the development of complex hunting tools, has been the focus of intensive research, well-documented contexts for the early Middle Stone Age (EMSA) are rare. Here, we present archeological and ecological data on the EMSA occupation of Wonderwerk Cave excavated by Peter Beaumont, along with the results of luminescence dating of associated sediments to ca. 240-150 kyr, overlapping with the timing of the first known modern humans. The lithic assemblage shows a shift to prepared core flake production but lacks complex hunting equipment characteristic of the later MSA. Although ocher is present, there is no evidence of ornaments or incised objects. Multiproxy paleoclimate data from Wonderwerk Cave demonstrate that the EMSA occupation occurred under significantly wetter environmental conditions than the current semiarid regime. The Wonderwerk Cave EMSA provides strong support for the argument that critical aspects of the MSA archeological record developed long after the first appearance of modern humans. Keywords MIS 6-7 paleoclimate. Lithic analysis. Micromorphology. Faunal isotope analysis. Modern human origins The Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa was a period of technological and cultural innovation, including use and decoration of ocher and ostrich eggshell, manufacture of shell ornaments, blade tools, pressure flaking of lithic artifacts, heat treatment of lithic raw material, and development of complex hunting equipment (Brown et al. 2009; Henshilwood et al.
The common springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), with its characteristic dorsal fan and stotting mo... more The common springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), with its characteristic dorsal fan and stotting movement is the national animal of South Africa. In the Pleistocene, this species shared the subcontinent with the extinct Bond's springbok (Antidorcas bondi), and differences in their ecological relationship has been of long-standing interest to palaeontologists. Brink (1987) proposed that Bond's springbok, as a characteristic species for the Florisian Land Mammal Age, was an essential part of a Pleistocene grazing community that likely occupied open grasslands in the interior. This niche contrasts markedly with the flexible browsing habits of the extant springbok, which can tolerate arid habitats. Here we revisit the dietary ecological history of A. bondi research by means of published species distribution data through time, and carbon stable isotope data. The results suggest that its specialist grazing ecology remained stable from the Mid-Pleistocene onwards until its extinction in the early Holocene (c. 8-10ka). The results are discussed in the context of Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental change in southern Africa.
The influence of climatic and environmental change on human evolution in the Pleistocene epoch is... more The influence of climatic and environmental change on human evolution in the Pleistocene epoch is understood largely from extensive East African stable isotope records. These records show increasing proportions of C4 plants in the Early Pleistocene. We know far less about the expansion of C4 grasses at higher latitudes, which were also occupied by early Homo but are more marginal for C4 plants. Here we show that both C3 and C4 grasses and prolonged wetlands remained major components of Early Pleistocene environments in the central interior of southern Africa, based on enamel stable carbon and oxygen isotope data and associated faunal abundance and phytolith evidence from the site of Wonderwerk Cave. Vegetation contexts associated with Oldowan and early Acheulean lithic industries, in which climate is driven by an interplay of regional rainfall seasonality together with global CO2 levels, develop along a regional distinct trajectory compared to eastern South Africa and East Africa.
The large mammalian fauna of southern Africa is characterised by strong niche separation into gra... more The large mammalian fauna of southern Africa is characterised by strong niche separation into grazer and browser species, with few falling into the intermediate mixed-feeder niche. Moreover, the modern fauna is reduced in species diversity compared to the Pleistocene, following the extinction of several specialized grazers in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. How did this state develop, and how might it be connected to climatic change during the Holocene? To better understand this development, we obtained extensive carbon and oxygen stable light isotope data from herbivore tooth enamel samples from Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa, spanning about 12,000–500 cal. BP. This is a unique dataset since it is the only site in the southern Kalahari with a robust chronometric record and well-preserved faunal remains for the last 12,000 years without significant gaps. Combining the stable isotopes with pollen and micromammal data from Wonderwerk Cave, we have explored shifts in the proportions of C3 and C4 plants and moisture availability. Although climate remained generally semi-arid for much of this period, the results show significant hydrological and vegetation shifts in the sequence, particularly with the strengthening of summer rainfall in the mid-Holocene. The results for the sixteen herbivore species reveal a reinforcement of the grazer-browser niche partitioning through the Holocene and shows how niche specialization follows changes in local vegetation composition. In the light of this reconstruction of the local ecology we discuss grazer extinctions, human adaptations, and the drivers behind climatic changes in the summer rainfall zone of southern Africa.
Wonderwerk Cave has yielded one of the longest and most complete Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) r... more Wonderwerk Cave has yielded one of the longest and most complete Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) records for the arid interior of South Africa. This paper presents the results of a new radiocarbon dating program for Excavation 1 that is explored within a Bayesian model of all existing Wonderwerk Cave radiocarbon (14C) dates for the Holocene. The proposed model, using Phases within an OxCal Sequence model, provides robust age estimates for changes in the technological and paleoenvironmental record at the site. The more precise dates allow a comparison of the timing of climate shifts across the interior of southern Africa and begin to allow us to identify whether hiatuses in human occupation, or cultural shifts, are synchronous across broader areas of the subcontinent, or not.
Sparse records and discontinuous and/or poor chronologically resolved data hinder construction of... more Sparse records and discontinuous and/or poor chronologically resolved data hinder construction of reliable palaeoenvironmental sequences for the interior of South Africa. Wonderwerk Cave occupies a central position in the interior where the Kalahari Thornveld/dry woodland vegetation and generally arid conditions are expected to be sensitive to subtle past climate perturbations, and evidence from this site has been key to forming views on environmental change in the interior. A compilation of existing data including principal component analysis of pollen suggested broad trends, ranging from variably arid and open in the early Holocene to moister conditions from about 7500 to 5000 years, followed by aridity thereafter. In an effort to better establish the nature and timing of shifts from the Late Pleistocene sequence onwards, we analyse carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in a robust sample of ostrich eggshell from Wonderwerk Cave. The resulting data are then placed within a temporal framework established by Bayesian modelling of existing radiocarbon dates and compared against shifts in the Wonderwerk cultural sequence. Several shifts and trends in aridity include an arid to moist shift in layer 4b near 6000 years, coincident with a cultural shift within the Wilton assemblage, and thereafter an aridification trend culminating at about 2000 years with the appearance of the ceramic LSA.
The refugia hypothesis, often used to explain Amazonia's high biodiversity, initially received am... more The refugia hypothesis, often used to explain Amazonia's high biodiversity, initially received ample support but has garnered increasing criticism over time. Palynological, phylogenetic, and vegetation model reconstruction studies have been invoked to support the opposing arguments of extensive fragmentation versus a stable Amazonian Forest during Pleistocene glacial maxima. Here, we test the past existence of forest fragments and savanna connectivity by bias-correcting vegetation distributions from a Dynamic Vegetation Model (DVM) driven by paleoclimate simulations for South America during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We find evidence for fragmented forests akin to refugia with extensive tropical humid forests to the west and forest islands in central/southern Amazonia. Drier ecosystems of Northern Llanos, Caatinga and Cerrado may have merged into continuous savanna/grasslands that dominated the continent. However, our reconstructions suggest taller, dense woodland/tropical savanna vegetation and areas of similar bioclimate connected disparate forest fragments across Amazonia. This ecotonal biome may have acted as a corridor for generalist forest and savanna species, creating connectivity that allows for range expansion during glacial periods. Simultaneously, it could have served as a barrier for specialists, inducing diversification through the formation of 'semi-refugia'.
The extinction of Neanderthal populations has been attributed to the onset of cold and dry climat... more The extinction of Neanderthal populations has been attributed to the onset of cold and dry climatic conditions during Marine Isotope Stage 3 or their competition with anatomically modern humans for large game resources. However, decoupling climate from competition has long proved difficult. Loess sequences and pollen cores provide regional-scale environmental information but are less well-suited to providing local-scale habitat information contemporaneous with hominin habitation of occupation sites. The relationship between climate and resource availability is particularly unknown in the Zagros mountain range where archaeological evidence for both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens occupation is documented. Here, we analyse carbon (δ 13 C) and oxygen (δ 18 O) stable isotopes measured from herbivore tooth enamel carbonates recovered from the Neanderthal and modern human occupation sites of Bawa Yawan Rockshelter and Shanidar Cave to trace local-scale floral biome dynamics and climate conditions that influence the distribution and availability of large prey targeted by both hominin species. Shared isotopic composition of herbivorous fauna, largely represented by wild goats, from both sites spanning Neanderthal and Homo sapiens occupation indicate both hominin species exploited similar habitats during climatically similar phases.
Although the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa, associated with major cultural innovation... more Although the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa, associated with major cultural innovation including aspects of symbolic behavior and the development of complex hunting tools, has been the focus of intensive research, well-documented contexts for the early Middle Stone Age (EMSA) are rare. Here, we present archeological and ecological data on the EMSA occupation of Wonderwerk Cave excavated by Peter Beaumont, along with the results of luminescence dating of associated sediments to ca. 240-150 kyr, overlapping with the timing of the first known modern humans. The lithic assemblage shows a shift to prepared core flake production but lacks complex hunting equipment characteristic of the later MSA. Although ocher is present, there is no evidence of ornaments or incised objects. Multiproxy paleoclimate data from Wonderwerk Cave demonstrate that the EMSA occupation occurred under significantly wetter environmental conditions than the current semiarid regime. The Wonderwerk Cave EMSA provides strong support for the argument that critical aspects of the MSA archeological record developed long after the first appearance of modern humans. Keywords MIS 6-7 paleoclimate. Lithic analysis. Micromorphology. Faunal isotope analysis. Modern human origins The Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa was a period of technological and cultural innovation, including use and decoration of ocher and ostrich eggshell, manufacture of shell ornaments, blade tools, pressure flaking of lithic artifacts, heat treatment of lithic raw material, and development of complex hunting equipment (Brown et al. 2009; Henshilwood et al.
The common springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), with its characteristic dorsal fan and stotting mo... more The common springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), with its characteristic dorsal fan and stotting movement is the national animal of South Africa. In the Pleistocene, this species shared the subcontinent with the extinct Bond's springbok (Antidorcas bondi), and differences in their ecological relationship has been of long-standing interest to palaeontologists. Brink (1987) proposed that Bond's springbok, as a characteristic species for the Florisian Land Mammal Age, was an essential part of a Pleistocene grazing community that likely occupied open grasslands in the interior. This niche contrasts markedly with the flexible browsing habits of the extant springbok, which can tolerate arid habitats. Here we revisit the dietary ecological history of A. bondi research by means of published species distribution data through time, and carbon stable isotope data. The results suggest that its specialist grazing ecology remained stable from the Mid-Pleistocene onwards until its extinction in the early Holocene (c. 8-10ka). The results are discussed in the context of Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental change in southern Africa.
The influence of climatic and environmental change on human evolution in the Pleistocene epoch is... more The influence of climatic and environmental change on human evolution in the Pleistocene epoch is understood largely from extensive East African stable isotope records. These records show increasing proportions of C4 plants in the Early Pleistocene. We know far less about the expansion of C4 grasses at higher latitudes, which were also occupied by early Homo but are more marginal for C4 plants. Here we show that both C3 and C4 grasses and prolonged wetlands remained major components of Early Pleistocene environments in the central interior of southern Africa, based on enamel stable carbon and oxygen isotope data and associated faunal abundance and phytolith evidence from the site of Wonderwerk Cave. Vegetation contexts associated with Oldowan and early Acheulean lithic industries, in which climate is driven by an interplay of regional rainfall seasonality together with global CO2 levels, develop along a regional distinct trajectory compared to eastern South Africa and East Africa.
The large mammalian fauna of southern Africa is characterised by strong niche separation into gra... more The large mammalian fauna of southern Africa is characterised by strong niche separation into grazer and browser species, with few falling into the intermediate mixed-feeder niche. Moreover, the modern fauna is reduced in species diversity compared to the Pleistocene, following the extinction of several specialized grazers in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. How did this state develop, and how might it be connected to climatic change during the Holocene? To better understand this development, we obtained extensive carbon and oxygen stable light isotope data from herbivore tooth enamel samples from Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa, spanning about 12,000–500 cal. BP. This is a unique dataset since it is the only site in the southern Kalahari with a robust chronometric record and well-preserved faunal remains for the last 12,000 years without significant gaps. Combining the stable isotopes with pollen and micromammal data from Wonderwerk Cave, we have explored shifts in the proportions of C3 and C4 plants and moisture availability. Although climate remained generally semi-arid for much of this period, the results show significant hydrological and vegetation shifts in the sequence, particularly with the strengthening of summer rainfall in the mid-Holocene. The results for the sixteen herbivore species reveal a reinforcement of the grazer-browser niche partitioning through the Holocene and shows how niche specialization follows changes in local vegetation composition. In the light of this reconstruction of the local ecology we discuss grazer extinctions, human adaptations, and the drivers behind climatic changes in the summer rainfall zone of southern Africa.
Wonderwerk Cave has yielded one of the longest and most complete Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) r... more Wonderwerk Cave has yielded one of the longest and most complete Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) records for the arid interior of South Africa. This paper presents the results of a new radiocarbon dating program for Excavation 1 that is explored within a Bayesian model of all existing Wonderwerk Cave radiocarbon (14C) dates for the Holocene. The proposed model, using Phases within an OxCal Sequence model, provides robust age estimates for changes in the technological and paleoenvironmental record at the site. The more precise dates allow a comparison of the timing of climate shifts across the interior of southern Africa and begin to allow us to identify whether hiatuses in human occupation, or cultural shifts, are synchronous across broader areas of the subcontinent, or not.
Sparse records and discontinuous and/or poor chronologically resolved data hinder construction of... more Sparse records and discontinuous and/or poor chronologically resolved data hinder construction of reliable palaeoenvironmental sequences for the interior of South Africa. Wonderwerk Cave occupies a central position in the interior where the Kalahari Thornveld/dry woodland vegetation and generally arid conditions are expected to be sensitive to subtle past climate perturbations, and evidence from this site has been key to forming views on environmental change in the interior. A compilation of existing data including principal component analysis of pollen suggested broad trends, ranging from variably arid and open in the early Holocene to moister conditions from about 7500 to 5000 years, followed by aridity thereafter. In an effort to better establish the nature and timing of shifts from the Late Pleistocene sequence onwards, we analyse carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in a robust sample of ostrich eggshell from Wonderwerk Cave. The resulting data are then placed within a temporal framework established by Bayesian modelling of existing radiocarbon dates and compared against shifts in the Wonderwerk cultural sequence. Several shifts and trends in aridity include an arid to moist shift in layer 4b near 6000 years, coincident with a cultural shift within the Wilton assemblage, and thereafter an aridification trend culminating at about 2000 years with the appearance of the ceramic LSA.
The interior of southern Africa largely lacks long, well-dated climate and environmental records ... more The interior of southern Africa largely lacks long, well-dated climate and environmental records that are key to studying impacts of shifts in rainfall, vegetation and food resources for hunter-gatherers in the past. Wonderwerk Cave is a rare exception, providing a sequence that includes all Holocene Later Stone Age techno-complexes as well as levels dated to the late and middle Pleistocene. Significantly, the cave is located at the edge of the Kalahari, an area that is known to have been sensitive to past climate shifts.
We report here results of stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of ostrich eggshell (OES) and herbivore tooth enamel archives to explore proportions of C3 and C4 plants and moisture availability. The observed changes are assessed in a framework of Bayesian modelling of published and new radiocarbon dates. The two archives differ in the features they reflect best. In the case of OES, 18O is a robust indicator of humidity, while tooth enamel of grazing herbivores indicates the proportions of C4 grasses in the biome. The results show significant shifts in the sequence, especially at the start of the Holocene and during the Wilton lithic industry around 6ka cal BP.
The interior of southern Africa is a key region for the study of human evolution, but has few lon... more The interior of southern Africa is a key region for the study of human evolution, but has few long, well-dated climate and environmental proxy records. Yet resulting shifts in conditions, especially vegetation, would clearly have impacted the distribution of resources for hunter-gatherers in the past. Wonderwerk Cave preserves a long well-dated sequence of human occupation in the interior that also includes all Holocene Later Stone Age techno-complexes. Significantly, it is located at the edges of the Kalahari, an area which is known to have been sensitive to past climate shifts that have been little explored following earlier work in the 1980's. Here we report new data from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of ostrich eggshell and herbivore tooth enamel in Excavation area 1 to establish a more detailed picture of past climate and vegetation changes. These two archives differ in the climate or environmental features they reflect best; in the case of OES D18O is a robust indicator of humidity but ostriches do not necessarily indicate the proportions of C4 grasses in the biome, while tooth enamel of grazing herbivores does. Combining these proxies we explored shifts in the proportions of C3 and C4 plants, growing conditions and moisture availability during the Holocene. The results show significant shifts in the sequence, especially at the beginning of the Holocene and around a proposed technological change within the Wilton industry.
The observed changes and their correlation to new pollen and phytolith data from Wonderwerk Cave are assessed in a framework of Bayesian modelling work of existing radiocarbon dates. Comparisons to earlier results from stable isotope analysis of the Pleistocene strata in Wonderwerk Cave as well as other records from southern Africa help to interpret the larger orbital scale climate cycles affecting the sub-continent and the changing the environment hominins live in.
Ostrich eggshell is abundant in many archaeological and palaeontological sites throughout Africa,... more Ostrich eggshell is abundant in many archaeological and palaeontological sites throughout Africa, making it a popular material for radiocarbon dating. However, ostrich eggshell is also a powerful tool for reconstructing climate and palaeoenvironment, as well as ecological changes. Here we present three different methods that have produced climatic and environmental information on the same samples: stable carbon and oxygen isotopes on inorganic carbonate, pore size count and shell thickness measurements. As a case study we present new results for the Oldowan and Earlier Stone Age layers at Wonderwerk Cave (Northern Cape, South Africa), for the period ca. 2 - 1 Ma. The data, independently collected using the three different methods, provide a remarkably coherent picture of past environmental and climate change for the arid interior of South Africa, where such data from terrestrial archives is rare.
Independently, the methods demonstrate the occurrence of significant moist phases in an overall arid setting. The isotopic data show changing amounts of C3 and C4 plants, although ostriches are opportunistic grazers with a preference for tender green plants. This record can be compared to other proxies from the region to research for drivers of climate change in southern Africa’s summer rainfall region.
The site of Payre is located in Southern France, in the Rhone valley. Archaeological excavations ... more The site of Payre is located in Southern France, in the Rhone valley. Archaeological excavations revealed lithics, faunal remains and hominid remains from the Middle Palaeolithic. The sediments are dated to end of MIS 8 to the beginning of MIS 5, approximately 125 000 to 250 000 years ago.
Neanderthals used the site for several occupations. The different biotopes around the site provided access to diverse resources. Oxygen and Carbon stable isotope analyses were carried out on tooth enamel from various Herbivores, Carnivores and (for the first time) a Neanderthal. Diet, habitat reconstruction and influence of climatic change were investigated with this method. Another research question was to compare the results from stable isotope analyses to the results from dental wear analyses (mesowear and microwear) on the same teeth. It is a comparison of both, the methods itself and the results of both methods.
A reconstruction of the ecology around Payre was possible, showing that the local topography is the largest influence. Pleistocene climatic changes do not influence diet and habitat of the herbivores at this site and therefore no change in hunting behavior and technology occurred through time.
For a century fossil fauna and stone tools from the Early and Middle Stone Age have been reported... more For a century fossil fauna and stone tools from the Early and Middle Stone Age have been reported from the banks of the lower Vaal River near Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, mainly from deposits disturbed by diamond miners. Indeed, the Vaal River terraces revealed the first stratigraphy of Early Stone Age artefacts in Africa and are therefore a key sequence for understanding this time period. Previous excavations have shown the enormous potential of these Acheulean and Fauresmith period sites (c. 1,000,000 - 200,000 BP), but they lack modern documentation, analysis and publication. This project aims to locate and excavate the archaeologically significant fossil bearing gravels at the site of Pniel 6. Other local excavations at the sites of Canteen Kopje and Rietputs have focused on sites rich in lithics and have begun to clarify the age of the deposits. However, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the rich sites along the Vaal that include both stone tools and the remains of extinct fauna, and reconstructions of the past environment have been neglected. Indeed, the precise archaeological context of the fauna and associated lithic artefacts from the Vaal River gravels has not been confirmed by modern excavations. Our 2017 field season is the first with results from a modern excavation of a locality with potential to make a major contribution to the archaeology of early humans in the arid interior of southern Africa, a region where organic preservation in Pleistocene sediments is rare. The first step towards a sustained project at Pniel 6 has included comprehensive survey across the area and detailed mapping of the topography with the total station for use in a Geographical Information System (GIS). Further spatial analysis derives from piece-plotting of all finds and screening of all sediments, followed by sorting by hand. This contribution showcases the results from the 2017 field season. Further research at Pniel will provide the basis for understanding the environmental context of human occupation along the Vaal River.
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Papers by Michaela Ecker
We report here results of stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of ostrich eggshell (OES) and herbivore tooth enamel archives to explore proportions of C3 and C4 plants and moisture availability. The observed changes are assessed in a framework of Bayesian modelling of published and new radiocarbon dates. The two archives differ in the features they reflect best. In the case of OES, 18O is a robust indicator of humidity, while tooth enamel of grazing herbivores indicates the proportions of C4 grasses in the biome. The results show significant shifts in the sequence, especially at the start of the Holocene and during the Wilton lithic industry around 6ka cal BP.
The observed changes and their correlation to new pollen and phytolith data from Wonderwerk Cave are assessed in a framework of Bayesian modelling work of existing radiocarbon dates. Comparisons to earlier results from stable isotope analysis of the Pleistocene strata in Wonderwerk Cave as well as other records from southern Africa help to interpret the larger orbital scale climate cycles affecting the sub-continent and the changing the environment hominins live in.
Independently, the methods demonstrate the occurrence of significant moist phases in an overall arid setting. The isotopic data show changing amounts of C3 and C4 plants, although ostriches are opportunistic grazers with a preference for tender green plants. This record can be compared to other proxies from the region to research for drivers of climate change in southern Africa’s summer rainfall region.
Neanderthals used the site for several occupations. The different biotopes around the site provided access to diverse resources. Oxygen and Carbon stable isotope analyses were carried out on tooth enamel from various Herbivores, Carnivores and (for the first time) a Neanderthal. Diet, habitat reconstruction and influence of climatic change were investigated with this method. Another research question was to compare the results from stable isotope analyses to the results from dental wear analyses (mesowear and microwear) on the same teeth. It is a comparison of both, the methods itself and the results of both methods.
A reconstruction of the ecology around Payre was possible, showing that the local topography is the largest influence. Pleistocene climatic changes do not influence diet and habitat of the herbivores at this site and therefore no change in hunting behavior and technology occurred through time.
River near Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, mainly from deposits disturbed by diamond miners. Indeed,
the Vaal River terraces revealed the first stratigraphy of Early Stone Age artefacts in Africa and are therefore a key sequence
for understanding this time period. Previous excavations have shown the enormous potential of these Acheulean and Fauresmith
period sites (c. 1,000,000 - 200,000 BP), but they lack modern documentation, analysis and publication. This project aims to
locate and excavate the archaeologically significant fossil bearing gravels at the site of Pniel 6. Other local excavations at the sites of
Canteen Kopje and Rietputs have focused on sites rich in lithics and have begun to clarify the age of the deposits. However,
there has been no comprehensive analysis of the rich sites along the Vaal that include both stone tools and the remains of extinct
fauna, and reconstructions of the past environment have been neglected. Indeed, the precise archaeological context of the fauna
and associated lithic artefacts from the Vaal River gravels has not been confirmed by modern excavations. Our 2017 field season is
the first with results from a modern excavation of a locality with potential to make a major contribution to the archaeology of early
humans in the arid interior of southern Africa, a region where organic preservation in Pleistocene sediments is rare. The first step towards
a sustained project at Pniel 6 has included comprehensive survey across the area and detailed mapping of the topography with
the total station for use in a Geographical Information System (GIS). Further spatial analysis derives from piece-plotting of all finds
and screening of all sediments, followed by sorting by hand. This contribution showcases the results from the 2017 field season. Further
research at Pniel will provide the basis for understanding the environmental context of human occupation along the Vaal River.