Stone Tools: A window into our cultural origins Stone tools reflect archetypal human behaviors; they are pragmatic, the skills to make and use them are not genetically transmitted and must be learnt, and their production requires varying degrees of planning and problem-solving skills. They enable humans to do what cannot be accomplished with teeth and
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Knowing where to dig is one of the trickiest parts of the archaeological sciences.
In 2015, the P5 Project began excavation in Pondoland. With our small, but highly trained team, we excavated at four sites over 6 weeks. It was the first time we explored the archaeology at Waterfall Bluff and we also began to catalog the Early Stone Age artifacts at the red dunes at Msikaba.
Mpondoland’s rugged landscape is difficult to traverse. Often, the only way around is by foot.
The P5 Project maps the 3D position of every artifact, bone, and sediment surface. The results provide unprecedented detail about how sites formed and the people who used them.
Mpondoland is part of the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt (IOCB) biome which in South Africa constitutes, stretching from Mozambique to the mouth of the Great Kei River. Waterfall Bluff rock shelter, seen here, is one of only nineteen waterfalls that empty directly into the ocean. .
Irene Esteban The reconstruction of past environments and climates is important because they might have led to shifts in habitats and therefore on resource (i.e. plants, animals, freshwater) availability for past hunter-gatherers. Coastal regions may have provided natural buffers against the effects of localized resource instability triggered by climatic and environmental variability. This is because
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Various important things here.
Erich C. Fisher Running a scientific project isn’t just about research. There also needs to be a base of operations where equipment can be stored and maintained, samples can be curated, and people can work. Developing this kind of infrastructure poses unique challenges that can stifle research and even stop it altogether. But, once in
