Second SWP paper, Archaeological impact

This paper builds on the environmental composite records obtained from the Seweweekspoort Hyrax middens, along the South Coast of South Africa (green curve on the figure on the right, see here for more details [1]), to revisit the way archaeological remains and artefacts from Boomplaas Cave should be interpreted.

Using a diverse array of zooarchaeological remain (orange curves) and technological artefact (blue curves) indices, Chase et al. demonstrate that systems for technological delivery and provisioning were responsive to changing humidity and environmental productivity. However, in contrast to prevailing models, bladelet-rich microlithic technologies were deployed under conditions of high foraging returns and abandoned in response to increased aridity and less productive subsistence environments. This suggests that posited links between microlithic technologies and subsistence risk are not universal, and the behavioral sophistication of human populations is reflected in their adaptive flexibility rather than in the use of specific technological systems.

This paper highlights one more time that in science it is still necessary to question even the most established paradigms and/or pre-conceived ideas. Contrary to the long time expected, the conditions of the last glacial maximum were not necessarily harsher for Early Humans, especially in the southern African drylands where the colder temperatures of the LGM resulted in more humid environmental conditions [2].

References:

[1] Chase B.M., Chevalier, M., Boom, A. and Carr, A.S.: The dynamic relationship between temperate and tropical circulation systems across South Africa since the last glacial maximum. Quat. Sci. Rev., 174, 54 – 62, 2017.

[2] Chevalier, M. and Chase, B.M.: Determining the drivers of long-term aridity variability: a southern African case study. J. of Quat. Sci., 31, 143 – 151, 2016.