Jayson Orton | University of South Africa (original) (raw)

Papers by Jayson Orton

Research paper thumbnail of Precolonial coastal archaeology between Table Bay and Yzerfontein, Western Cape, South Africa: a review of historical and recent observations

This paper reviews the precolonial coastal archaeological record from Table Bay to Yzerfontein. T... more This paper reviews the precolonial coastal archaeological record from Table Bay to Yzerfontein. The observations include amateur and professional historical reports, academic publications and a large body of grey literature generated by cultural resources management practitioners. Primary archaeological information is relatively sparse due to the extensive historical development of the coastline, with most data generated by recent CRM work. The radiocarbon record established from burials and shell middens extends back through 6000 years; beyond that isolated occurrences of Middle and Earlier Stone Age materials exist, notably including the Middle Stone Age shell midden, Ysterfontein 1. Further archaeological sites are likely to occur in the review area but sites in better context are more likely to be found in the north where development pressure has been less intense. Solutions need to be found to ensure the reporting and rescue of accidental finds made during construction work so as to prevent the ongoing loss of archaeological information and burials. Heritage policing is virtually non-existent and fines for heritage contraventions are too small to act as suitable incentives. Given the continuing development around Table Bay, CRM work will continue to drive the generation of archaeological data in the area. KEY WORDS: Table Bay, Bloubergstrand, Melkbosstrand, Yzerfontein, cultural resource management, shell middens, shell scatters, human burials.

Research paper thumbnail of Stone tools beads and a river: two Holocene microlithic sites at Jakkalsberg in the northwestern Richtersveld Northern Cape South Africa

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

Jakkalsberg N and Jakkalsberg L, located on the bank of the Orange River in the area of South Afr... more Jakkalsberg N and Jakkalsberg L, located on the bank of the Orange River in the area of South Africa known as the Richtersveld, date to the mid-and late mid-Holocene, respectively. The former is a palimpsest revealing scattered material from other periods. Both contain large assemblages of lithics and bead-manufacturing debris. Their formal tools are diverse and include types uncommon in South Africa but more frequently found through much of the rest of Africa. In particular, these sites contain more than an incidental occurrence of denticulates and triangles, respectively. The formal tool composition indicates continuity with assemblages from both central and southern Africa and supports common origins for many African microlithic industries. The river serves as a lifeline in the hostile Richtersveld environment with fish being a key resource. Despite having been subjected to periodic flooding and siltation, spatial integrity and preservation of artefacts at these sites was sufficient to allow high research value.

Research paper thumbnail of The late pre-colonial site of Komkans 2 (KK002) and an evaluation of the evidence for indigenous copper smelting in Namaqualand, southern Africa

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Jun 23, 2014

ABSTRACT Excavations at the late Holocene archaeological site KK002 are described. This small roc... more ABSTRACT Excavations at the late Holocene archaeological site KK002 are described. This small rock shelter, 17 km from the coast in southern Namaqualand, South Africa, contained a shallow deposit with a rich assemblage. Limited evidence of mid-Holocene occupation occurs, but the majority of occupation took place within the last 2000 years and can be split into two primary layers. The finds included stone artefacts with many clear quartz backed tools, whole, broken and partly made ostrich eggshell beads, pottery, worked wood and reeds, wood shavings, metal artefacts of indigenous and European origin, glass trade beads and a variety of subsistence remains, including those of marine animals. All three copper-containing artefacts are of European origin. With so much having been said about the possibility of an indigenous source of copper in Namaqualand, further investigation of this suggests that copper was not mined locally, but that lumps of native copper were collected at times. There is also no evidence of copper-smelting south of the Orange River, although this was practised in central Namibia.

Research paper thumbnail of A reworked mid-Holocene lithic assemblage at Dunefield Midden 1, Elands Bay, South Africa

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2006

INTRODUCTION The stratigraphy and context of open air archaeological sites on the West Coast can ... more INTRODUCTION The stratigraphy and context of open air archaeological sites on the West Coast can be complicated by reworking through strandline migration from relative changes in sea level (Compton & Franceschini 2005) and deflation by strong seasonal winds (Kandel et al. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Patterns in Stone: The Lithic Assemblage from Dunefield Midden, Western Cape, South Africa

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2002

Dunefield Midden is a Later Stone Age hunter-gatherer campsite displaying a series of short occup... more Dunefield Midden is a Later Stone Age hunter-gatherer campsite displaying a series of short occupations between c. 900 BP and c. 600 BP that post-dates afar earlier one. The lithic assemblage can be split into two chronologically dis-tinct components: (I) an almost exclusively quartz ...

Research paper thumbnail of Namib: the archaeology of an African desert

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Jan 26, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Rescue excavations at Diaz Street Midden, Saldanha Bay, South Africa

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Apr 1, 2009

This paper documents Diaz Street Midden, a Later Stone Age site discovered during recent developm... more This paper documents Diaz Street Midden, a Later Stone Age site discovered during recent development of a property in Saldanha Bay, South Africa. It began accumulating some 6000 years ago but the upper deposits were destroyed prior to excavation. The small excavation yielded a ...

Research paper thumbnail of A late Pleistocene microlithic Later Stone Age assemblage from coastal Namaqualand, South Africa

Before farming, 2008

This paper documents the first known Pleistocene Later Stone Age site (AK2006/001G) in coastal Na... more This paper documents the first known Pleistocene Later Stone Age site (AK2006/001G) in coastal Namaqualand. Located just north of Kleinsee, the site presents as an open stone artefact scatter in a gravel lag deposit. The artefacts are almost exclusively of silcrete which was obtained from a nearby outcrop. The assemblage has characteristics typical of southern Africa's late Pleistocene microlithic assemblages but unfortunately cannot be directly dated. Bladelets and bipolar cores are common, while retouched items are rare and unstandardised. Unfortunately artefact breakage is ubiquitous, undoubtedly due to the site's context. Such assemblages have frequently been documented in the well-watered mountainous southern and eastern regions of South Africa, a zone to which they were long thought to be restricted. The open, semi-desert setting of this site in the far northwest is therefore unique and it is possible that many more such open sites may yet be found.

Research paper thumbnail of Herders and Foragers on Kasteelberg: Interim Report of Excavations 1999-2002

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2003

Smith et al. (1991) proposed a model to distinguish the archaeological sites of Khoekhoe pastoral... more Smith et al. (1991) proposed a model to distinguish the archaeological sites of Khoekhoe pastoralists from those of San. This model was based on information gathered from sites scattered over hundreds of square kilometres and several millennia. Between 1999 and 2002 we reexamined Smith et al. s (1991) model by excavating six neighbouring contemporary sites on the hill Kasteelberg. In a previous survey, three of these sites had been provisionally identified as pastoralist sites and three as forager sites. Here we present a brief comparison of the materials from these six sites. Although there are clear differences between the two sets of sites, the hypothesis that one set represents Khoekhoe herders and the other Bushman hunter-gatherers is not supported. Rather, one set of sites seems to represent a more mobile, herder-forager adaptation with a preference for inland resources while the other set appears to represent a more sedentary herder-forager adaptation with emphasis on shoreline resources. It remains to be determined how the occupants of the two sets of sites related to each other

Research paper thumbnail of An early date for cattle from Namaqualand, South Africa: implications for the origins of herding in southern Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Fishing in the rain: control of rain-making and aquatic resources at a previously undescribed rock art site in Highland Lesotho

Journal of African Archaeology, Dec 1, 2008

This paper describes a previously unrecorded rock art site in the highlands of Lesotho, southern ... more This paper describes a previously unrecorded rock art site in the highlands of Lesotho, southern Africa. It then explores the significance of the paintings at this site, which adds to the still small number of locations in the wider Maloti-Drakensberg region at which fishing scenes are depicted. Unusually, paintings of fish at this site are closely associated with that of a rain-animal and with other images, including dying eland and clapping and dancing human figures, that have clear shamanistic references. Drawing also on the local excavated archaeological record, we argue that these images may collectively refer to the power of Bushman shamans to harness and make rain, using that power to produce socially desirable benefits, including perhaps opportunities for group aggregation around seasonally restricted spawning runs of fish.

Research paper thumbnail of The introduction of pastoralism to southernmost Africa: thoughts on new contributions to an ongoing debate

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Apr 2, 2015

One of the longest-standing debates in African archaeology concerns the introduction of herding t... more One of the longest-standing debates in African archaeology concerns the introduction of herding to southern Africa and the resulting associated cultural changes. Two short books relating to the topic have recently appeared and I review here their very different contributions in the context of the debate. The debate has primarily revolved around the origins of the Khoekhoen, the timing of their arrival and that of domestic animals and pottery, the route(s) via which they arrived and the mechanism by which the livestock were moved. The origin of the Khoekhoen is perhaps only partly understood. They were not native to South Africa and entered the country from the north. On linguistic grounds, Westphal (1963) and Güldemann (2008) saw northern Botswana as being a point of origin for the Khoekhoen, while Elphick (1985) suggested that they obtained domestic stock from Bantu-speakers to the north of that area and then expanded southwards as their population grew. Barnard (1992: 30) considered it ‘likely that pastoral Khoekhoe society began with the acquisition of ... livestock and material culture, by southern African Bushmen, from a people of northern origin’ — the implication here, whether intended or not, seems to be that it was the fact that they owned livestock and related material culture that made them Khoekhoen rather than their genetic origins. However, genetic research suggests that there was, in fact, some population movement from East Africa into southern Africa and that East African genes are represented among the Khoekhoen (Henn et al. 2008; Breton et al. 2014; Macholt et al. 2014; Ranciaro et al. 2014). The timing of arrivals is also partly understood, at least in South Africa where most research has been conducted. Depending on whom one asks, pottery may have arrived first, likely followed fairly closely by the Khoekhoen and their sheep, but due to the

Research paper thumbnail of Late Holocene Archaeology in Namaqualand, South Africa: Hunter-Gatherers and Herders in a Semi-Arid Environment

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Mar 1, 2013

This study examines mid-to late Holocene Later Stone Age archaeological residuesspecifically flak... more This study examines mid-to late Holocene Later Stone Age archaeological residuesspecifically flaked stone artefacts, ostrich eggshell beads and potteryfrom Namaqualand, northwestern South Africa. Through its implication in all models so far proposed, Namaqualand is crucial to understanding the introduction of herding to the southern African subcontinent. Despite numerous publications on early herding, many key debates remain unresolved. A doctoral thesis is a big thing that one person cannot do alone. I am thus indebted to many. First and foremost my beautiful wife, Carol, has inspired and encouraged me to get this done. Peter Mitchell supervised the research and proved a constant source of knowledge and support for which I am most grateful. Dave Halkett, Tim Hart and Lita Webley, my colleagues at ACO Associates cc in South Africa, provided access to material and support, primarily in the form of time off work. In Oxford, Ian Hinde and Lesley Sergent offered excellent hospitality. Many contributed time and energy to the excavations, sorting and analysis, both during CRM work and specifically for this thesis. In this regard I am grateful to Mzunzima

Research paper thumbnail of A useful measure of the desirability of different raw materials for retouch within and between assemblages: the raw material retouch index (RMRI)

Journal of Archaeological Science, Apr 1, 2008

Due to their predictable fracture and the quality of the edge that can be produced on them, fine-... more Due to their predictable fracture and the quality of the edge that can be produced on them, fine-grained raw materials such as chert have long been favoured by prehistoric toolmakers for the production of relatively small retouched artefacts. It is common to find far higher ...

Research paper thumbnail of Klein Kliphuis clarifications: A reply to Jerardino

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

for this opportunity to participate in the great UCTtraditionofpublicdebate.Wewishtonoteattheouts... more for this opportunity to participate in the great UCTtraditionofpublicdebate.WewishtonoteattheoutsetthatwedonotintendtoprovideapointbypointrebuttalofJerardino’scritique, but rather to make some specific clarifications relatedto shellfish, and a few more general observations.Many of Jerardino’s comments provided or requesteddetails that we considered to be unnecessary in the context ofour original report. One of those, that we now add, is a strati-graphicdrawingdepictingthelateHolocenelayersoftheKleinKliphuis (KKH) sequence and an associated disturbance(hollow) feature (Fig. 1). As noted in our original report, thedisturbance feature was evident in the section but not duringexcavation.Nevertheless,tominimiseassumptions,therelevantareas of squares H1C and H1B were considered to be compro-mised and no data from these contexts was presented in ouroriginal report. The date of 922 ± 36 uncal. yr BP (Wk-20240)comes from a layer associated with the disturbance and, giventhe stratigraphically higher dates, appears to confirm it. Withrespect to the other stratigraphic units, those referred to as A,Bedding and C in Figure 1 correspond to the equivalent unitsidentified by Van Rijssen (1992) during his previous excavationof the site, though we were unable to isolate a unit B, as he haddone. A discussion of the late Pleistocene component of thesequenceisavailableinMackay(2009),andwillbepublishedasa separate report.With respect to the shellfish from KKH, we note that the

Research paper thumbnail of The Ysterfontein 1 Middle Stone Age Rock Shelter and the Evolution of Coastal Foraging

Page 1. 66 South African Archaeological Society Goodwin Series 10: 66–89, 2008 THE YSTERFONTEIN 1... more Page 1. 66 South African Archaeological Society Goodwin Series 10: 66–89, 2008 THE YSTERFONTEIN 1 MIDDLE STONE AGE ROCK SHELTER AND THE EVOLUTION OF COASTAL FORAGING GRAHAM AVERY1, DAVID ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Quartz Conundrum : understanding the role of quartz in the composition of late Pleistocene and Holocene lithic assemblages from the Verlorenvlei area, Western Cape

This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It... more This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It is my own work. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in this dissertation from the work, or works of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced.

Research paper thumbnail of Tortoise burials in Namaqualand: uncovering ritual behaviour on South Africa's west coast

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Mar 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Varsche Rivier 003, a new middle stone age site in southern Namaqualand, South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Late Holocene climatic and cultural variability at a focal point of settlement near lamberts bay, South Africa: Test excavations at Soutpansklipheuwel

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2018

The Elands Bay and Lamberts Bay areas have received dedicated attention over the last 40 years. B... more The Elands Bay and Lamberts Bay areas have received dedicated attention over the last 40 years. Broad chronological patterns have been established and tested by numerous research projects in the last two decades. Nevertheless, this large corpus of data also reveals that despite much research effort, some periods are better understood than others. For instance, only partial information is available for the Mid-Holocene (8700–4800 cal BP), and astonishingly little is known about the centuries between 1300 and 600 cal BP. Both of these periods were dominated by warm and dry atmospheric conditions, and are known as the Holocene Altithermal and the Medieval Warm Epoch, respectively. But luckily, two of three sites at Soutpansklipheuwel (SPKH) outcrop near Lamberts Bay are now known to have substantial volumes of material dating to the latter and elusive period. This paper reports on recent test excavations at all three sites. The results suggest that outcrops and other high-placed locations were targeted for settlement during this period, probably because of competition resulting directly or indirectly from water shortages and xeric conditions. Abundant supply of fuel from a range of woody shrubs and rainwater accumulating in rock pools made SPKH outcrop especially attractive. Shellfish consumption appears to have been of great importance to groups settling at SPKH, with species diversity largely dictated by the biogeographical distribution of taxa in nearby rocky shores. Exotic lithic raw materials were never dominant, but good effort was made to procure them from distant places, thus influencing mobility. Compared to local sites, backed pieces are unusually common at SPKH and a greater variety of formal tools were used and discarded at this locality. The emerging signs of variability seem to suggest that this hitherto little-known period known as the Medieval Warm Epoch was more eventful than previously suspected.

Research paper thumbnail of Precolonial coastal archaeology between Table Bay and Yzerfontein, Western Cape, South Africa: a review of historical and recent observations

This paper reviews the precolonial coastal archaeological record from Table Bay to Yzerfontein. T... more This paper reviews the precolonial coastal archaeological record from Table Bay to Yzerfontein. The observations include amateur and professional historical reports, academic publications and a large body of grey literature generated by cultural resources management practitioners. Primary archaeological information is relatively sparse due to the extensive historical development of the coastline, with most data generated by recent CRM work. The radiocarbon record established from burials and shell middens extends back through 6000 years; beyond that isolated occurrences of Middle and Earlier Stone Age materials exist, notably including the Middle Stone Age shell midden, Ysterfontein 1. Further archaeological sites are likely to occur in the review area but sites in better context are more likely to be found in the north where development pressure has been less intense. Solutions need to be found to ensure the reporting and rescue of accidental finds made during construction work so as to prevent the ongoing loss of archaeological information and burials. Heritage policing is virtually non-existent and fines for heritage contraventions are too small to act as suitable incentives. Given the continuing development around Table Bay, CRM work will continue to drive the generation of archaeological data in the area. KEY WORDS: Table Bay, Bloubergstrand, Melkbosstrand, Yzerfontein, cultural resource management, shell middens, shell scatters, human burials.

Research paper thumbnail of Stone tools beads and a river: two Holocene microlithic sites at Jakkalsberg in the northwestern Richtersveld Northern Cape South Africa

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

Jakkalsberg N and Jakkalsberg L, located on the bank of the Orange River in the area of South Afr... more Jakkalsberg N and Jakkalsberg L, located on the bank of the Orange River in the area of South Africa known as the Richtersveld, date to the mid-and late mid-Holocene, respectively. The former is a palimpsest revealing scattered material from other periods. Both contain large assemblages of lithics and bead-manufacturing debris. Their formal tools are diverse and include types uncommon in South Africa but more frequently found through much of the rest of Africa. In particular, these sites contain more than an incidental occurrence of denticulates and triangles, respectively. The formal tool composition indicates continuity with assemblages from both central and southern Africa and supports common origins for many African microlithic industries. The river serves as a lifeline in the hostile Richtersveld environment with fish being a key resource. Despite having been subjected to periodic flooding and siltation, spatial integrity and preservation of artefacts at these sites was sufficient to allow high research value.

Research paper thumbnail of The late pre-colonial site of Komkans 2 (KK002) and an evaluation of the evidence for indigenous copper smelting in Namaqualand, southern Africa

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Jun 23, 2014

ABSTRACT Excavations at the late Holocene archaeological site KK002 are described. This small roc... more ABSTRACT Excavations at the late Holocene archaeological site KK002 are described. This small rock shelter, 17 km from the coast in southern Namaqualand, South Africa, contained a shallow deposit with a rich assemblage. Limited evidence of mid-Holocene occupation occurs, but the majority of occupation took place within the last 2000 years and can be split into two primary layers. The finds included stone artefacts with many clear quartz backed tools, whole, broken and partly made ostrich eggshell beads, pottery, worked wood and reeds, wood shavings, metal artefacts of indigenous and European origin, glass trade beads and a variety of subsistence remains, including those of marine animals. All three copper-containing artefacts are of European origin. With so much having been said about the possibility of an indigenous source of copper in Namaqualand, further investigation of this suggests that copper was not mined locally, but that lumps of native copper were collected at times. There is also no evidence of copper-smelting south of the Orange River, although this was practised in central Namibia.

Research paper thumbnail of A reworked mid-Holocene lithic assemblage at Dunefield Midden 1, Elands Bay, South Africa

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2006

INTRODUCTION The stratigraphy and context of open air archaeological sites on the West Coast can ... more INTRODUCTION The stratigraphy and context of open air archaeological sites on the West Coast can be complicated by reworking through strandline migration from relative changes in sea level (Compton & Franceschini 2005) and deflation by strong seasonal winds (Kandel et al. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Patterns in Stone: The Lithic Assemblage from Dunefield Midden, Western Cape, South Africa

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2002

Dunefield Midden is a Later Stone Age hunter-gatherer campsite displaying a series of short occup... more Dunefield Midden is a Later Stone Age hunter-gatherer campsite displaying a series of short occupations between c. 900 BP and c. 600 BP that post-dates afar earlier one. The lithic assemblage can be split into two chronologically dis-tinct components: (I) an almost exclusively quartz ...

Research paper thumbnail of Namib: the archaeology of an African desert

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Jan 26, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Rescue excavations at Diaz Street Midden, Saldanha Bay, South Africa

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Apr 1, 2009

This paper documents Diaz Street Midden, a Later Stone Age site discovered during recent developm... more This paper documents Diaz Street Midden, a Later Stone Age site discovered during recent development of a property in Saldanha Bay, South Africa. It began accumulating some 6000 years ago but the upper deposits were destroyed prior to excavation. The small excavation yielded a ...

Research paper thumbnail of A late Pleistocene microlithic Later Stone Age assemblage from coastal Namaqualand, South Africa

Before farming, 2008

This paper documents the first known Pleistocene Later Stone Age site (AK2006/001G) in coastal Na... more This paper documents the first known Pleistocene Later Stone Age site (AK2006/001G) in coastal Namaqualand. Located just north of Kleinsee, the site presents as an open stone artefact scatter in a gravel lag deposit. The artefacts are almost exclusively of silcrete which was obtained from a nearby outcrop. The assemblage has characteristics typical of southern Africa's late Pleistocene microlithic assemblages but unfortunately cannot be directly dated. Bladelets and bipolar cores are common, while retouched items are rare and unstandardised. Unfortunately artefact breakage is ubiquitous, undoubtedly due to the site's context. Such assemblages have frequently been documented in the well-watered mountainous southern and eastern regions of South Africa, a zone to which they were long thought to be restricted. The open, semi-desert setting of this site in the far northwest is therefore unique and it is possible that many more such open sites may yet be found.

Research paper thumbnail of Herders and Foragers on Kasteelberg: Interim Report of Excavations 1999-2002

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2003

Smith et al. (1991) proposed a model to distinguish the archaeological sites of Khoekhoe pastoral... more Smith et al. (1991) proposed a model to distinguish the archaeological sites of Khoekhoe pastoralists from those of San. This model was based on information gathered from sites scattered over hundreds of square kilometres and several millennia. Between 1999 and 2002 we reexamined Smith et al. s (1991) model by excavating six neighbouring contemporary sites on the hill Kasteelberg. In a previous survey, three of these sites had been provisionally identified as pastoralist sites and three as forager sites. Here we present a brief comparison of the materials from these six sites. Although there are clear differences between the two sets of sites, the hypothesis that one set represents Khoekhoe herders and the other Bushman hunter-gatherers is not supported. Rather, one set of sites seems to represent a more mobile, herder-forager adaptation with a preference for inland resources while the other set appears to represent a more sedentary herder-forager adaptation with emphasis on shoreline resources. It remains to be determined how the occupants of the two sets of sites related to each other

Research paper thumbnail of An early date for cattle from Namaqualand, South Africa: implications for the origins of herding in southern Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Fishing in the rain: control of rain-making and aquatic resources at a previously undescribed rock art site in Highland Lesotho

Journal of African Archaeology, Dec 1, 2008

This paper describes a previously unrecorded rock art site in the highlands of Lesotho, southern ... more This paper describes a previously unrecorded rock art site in the highlands of Lesotho, southern Africa. It then explores the significance of the paintings at this site, which adds to the still small number of locations in the wider Maloti-Drakensberg region at which fishing scenes are depicted. Unusually, paintings of fish at this site are closely associated with that of a rain-animal and with other images, including dying eland and clapping and dancing human figures, that have clear shamanistic references. Drawing also on the local excavated archaeological record, we argue that these images may collectively refer to the power of Bushman shamans to harness and make rain, using that power to produce socially desirable benefits, including perhaps opportunities for group aggregation around seasonally restricted spawning runs of fish.

Research paper thumbnail of The introduction of pastoralism to southernmost Africa: thoughts on new contributions to an ongoing debate

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Apr 2, 2015

One of the longest-standing debates in African archaeology concerns the introduction of herding t... more One of the longest-standing debates in African archaeology concerns the introduction of herding to southern Africa and the resulting associated cultural changes. Two short books relating to the topic have recently appeared and I review here their very different contributions in the context of the debate. The debate has primarily revolved around the origins of the Khoekhoen, the timing of their arrival and that of domestic animals and pottery, the route(s) via which they arrived and the mechanism by which the livestock were moved. The origin of the Khoekhoen is perhaps only partly understood. They were not native to South Africa and entered the country from the north. On linguistic grounds, Westphal (1963) and Güldemann (2008) saw northern Botswana as being a point of origin for the Khoekhoen, while Elphick (1985) suggested that they obtained domestic stock from Bantu-speakers to the north of that area and then expanded southwards as their population grew. Barnard (1992: 30) considered it ‘likely that pastoral Khoekhoe society began with the acquisition of ... livestock and material culture, by southern African Bushmen, from a people of northern origin’ — the implication here, whether intended or not, seems to be that it was the fact that they owned livestock and related material culture that made them Khoekhoen rather than their genetic origins. However, genetic research suggests that there was, in fact, some population movement from East Africa into southern Africa and that East African genes are represented among the Khoekhoen (Henn et al. 2008; Breton et al. 2014; Macholt et al. 2014; Ranciaro et al. 2014). The timing of arrivals is also partly understood, at least in South Africa where most research has been conducted. Depending on whom one asks, pottery may have arrived first, likely followed fairly closely by the Khoekhoen and their sheep, but due to the

Research paper thumbnail of Late Holocene Archaeology in Namaqualand, South Africa: Hunter-Gatherers and Herders in a Semi-Arid Environment

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Mar 1, 2013

This study examines mid-to late Holocene Later Stone Age archaeological residuesspecifically flak... more This study examines mid-to late Holocene Later Stone Age archaeological residuesspecifically flaked stone artefacts, ostrich eggshell beads and potteryfrom Namaqualand, northwestern South Africa. Through its implication in all models so far proposed, Namaqualand is crucial to understanding the introduction of herding to the southern African subcontinent. Despite numerous publications on early herding, many key debates remain unresolved. A doctoral thesis is a big thing that one person cannot do alone. I am thus indebted to many. First and foremost my beautiful wife, Carol, has inspired and encouraged me to get this done. Peter Mitchell supervised the research and proved a constant source of knowledge and support for which I am most grateful. Dave Halkett, Tim Hart and Lita Webley, my colleagues at ACO Associates cc in South Africa, provided access to material and support, primarily in the form of time off work. In Oxford, Ian Hinde and Lesley Sergent offered excellent hospitality. Many contributed time and energy to the excavations, sorting and analysis, both during CRM work and specifically for this thesis. In this regard I am grateful to Mzunzima

Research paper thumbnail of A useful measure of the desirability of different raw materials for retouch within and between assemblages: the raw material retouch index (RMRI)

Journal of Archaeological Science, Apr 1, 2008

Due to their predictable fracture and the quality of the edge that can be produced on them, fine-... more Due to their predictable fracture and the quality of the edge that can be produced on them, fine-grained raw materials such as chert have long been favoured by prehistoric toolmakers for the production of relatively small retouched artefacts. It is common to find far higher ...

Research paper thumbnail of Klein Kliphuis clarifications: A reply to Jerardino

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

for this opportunity to participate in the great UCTtraditionofpublicdebate.Wewishtonoteattheouts... more for this opportunity to participate in the great UCTtraditionofpublicdebate.WewishtonoteattheoutsetthatwedonotintendtoprovideapointbypointrebuttalofJerardino’scritique, but rather to make some specific clarifications relatedto shellfish, and a few more general observations.Many of Jerardino’s comments provided or requesteddetails that we considered to be unnecessary in the context ofour original report. One of those, that we now add, is a strati-graphicdrawingdepictingthelateHolocenelayersoftheKleinKliphuis (KKH) sequence and an associated disturbance(hollow) feature (Fig. 1). As noted in our original report, thedisturbance feature was evident in the section but not duringexcavation.Nevertheless,tominimiseassumptions,therelevantareas of squares H1C and H1B were considered to be compro-mised and no data from these contexts was presented in ouroriginal report. The date of 922 ± 36 uncal. yr BP (Wk-20240)comes from a layer associated with the disturbance and, giventhe stratigraphically higher dates, appears to confirm it. Withrespect to the other stratigraphic units, those referred to as A,Bedding and C in Figure 1 correspond to the equivalent unitsidentified by Van Rijssen (1992) during his previous excavationof the site, though we were unable to isolate a unit B, as he haddone. A discussion of the late Pleistocene component of thesequenceisavailableinMackay(2009),andwillbepublishedasa separate report.With respect to the shellfish from KKH, we note that the

Research paper thumbnail of The Ysterfontein 1 Middle Stone Age Rock Shelter and the Evolution of Coastal Foraging

Page 1. 66 South African Archaeological Society Goodwin Series 10: 66–89, 2008 THE YSTERFONTEIN 1... more Page 1. 66 South African Archaeological Society Goodwin Series 10: 66–89, 2008 THE YSTERFONTEIN 1 MIDDLE STONE AGE ROCK SHELTER AND THE EVOLUTION OF COASTAL FORAGING GRAHAM AVERY1, DAVID ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Quartz Conundrum : understanding the role of quartz in the composition of late Pleistocene and Holocene lithic assemblages from the Verlorenvlei area, Western Cape

This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It... more This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It is my own work. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in this dissertation from the work, or works of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced.

Research paper thumbnail of Tortoise burials in Namaqualand: uncovering ritual behaviour on South Africa's west coast

Azania:archaeological Research in Africa, Mar 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Varsche Rivier 003, a new middle stone age site in southern Namaqualand, South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Late Holocene climatic and cultural variability at a focal point of settlement near lamberts bay, South Africa: Test excavations at Soutpansklipheuwel

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2018

The Elands Bay and Lamberts Bay areas have received dedicated attention over the last 40 years. B... more The Elands Bay and Lamberts Bay areas have received dedicated attention over the last 40 years. Broad chronological patterns have been established and tested by numerous research projects in the last two decades. Nevertheless, this large corpus of data also reveals that despite much research effort, some periods are better understood than others. For instance, only partial information is available for the Mid-Holocene (8700–4800 cal BP), and astonishingly little is known about the centuries between 1300 and 600 cal BP. Both of these periods were dominated by warm and dry atmospheric conditions, and are known as the Holocene Altithermal and the Medieval Warm Epoch, respectively. But luckily, two of three sites at Soutpansklipheuwel (SPKH) outcrop near Lamberts Bay are now known to have substantial volumes of material dating to the latter and elusive period. This paper reports on recent test excavations at all three sites. The results suggest that outcrops and other high-placed locations were targeted for settlement during this period, probably because of competition resulting directly or indirectly from water shortages and xeric conditions. Abundant supply of fuel from a range of woody shrubs and rainwater accumulating in rock pools made SPKH outcrop especially attractive. Shellfish consumption appears to have been of great importance to groups settling at SPKH, with species diversity largely dictated by the biogeographical distribution of taxa in nearby rocky shores. Exotic lithic raw materials were never dominant, but good effort was made to procure them from distant places, thus influencing mobility. Compared to local sites, backed pieces are unusually common at SPKH and a greater variety of formal tools were used and discarded at this locality. The emerging signs of variability seem to suggest that this hitherto little-known period known as the Medieval Warm Epoch was more eventful than previously suspected.