Similarities in Stone Tools Reflect a Connection Between Communities

Recently a research has been conducted on stone tools by a group of lithic experts. They examined tools -- mainly blades and backed knives from the Howiesons Poort. These tools were found in various layers in the Klipdrift Shelter, in the southern Cape in South Africa.

Dr. Katja Douze, is the corresponding author of the study is a researcher at the laboratory of Archaeology and Populations in Africa at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He stated that the tools found in different regions bear dissimilarities with each other, but there is an exception to that. The tools found in Klipdrift Shelter are extremely similar to those found at Diepkloof Rock Shelter. This similarity found is very surprising. The team of experts conducted the study on thousands of stone tools which have been excavated from seven layers that represent a time period of between 66,000 years ago and 59,000 years ago. The team then noted the dissimilarities between the stone tools of various regions. They chose the Klipdfrift Shelter for their research because it contains long archaeological sequence that provides data on cultural changes over time during the Howiesons Poort. The researchers found closely networked interaction between distant communities through the way they designed stone tools. The similarities found between the stone tools of Howiesons Poort and Klipdrift Shelter indicates that there was regular interaction between the two communities. The researchers found that the tools found in the deeper layers of the Klipdrift Shelter represent the earlier phases of the Howiesons Poort which were found to be made from heat-treated silcrete. These changes are indicative of the cultural changes instead of immediate alterations forced on the designers by changes in climate. Also, it is the first research of its kind where a parallel between different sites based on robust sets of data has come up. This kind of inference is unique for the middle stone age. The Middle Stone Age refers to the stretches from 350,000 years ago to 25,000 years ago and is a key period for understanding the development of the first Homo sapiens, their behavioral changes through time and their movements in-and-out of Africa. The team further researched to find out the reason behind the end of the Howiesons Poort. At the end they concluded that “the fact that a similar pattern of gradual change has been described for at least three other southern African Howiesons Poort sites (Rose Cottage Cave, Diepkloof Rock Shelter and Klasies River main site), further ascertains convergent evolutions in cultural trajectories rather than isolated groups promptly reacting to locally determined pressures”.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181109101438.htm