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Late Pleistocene Techno-traditions in Southern Africa: A Review of the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort, c. 75–59 ka

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Journal of World Prehistory Aims and scope

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on two remarkable techno-traditions in the prehistory of southern Africa, the c. 75–71 ka Still Bay and the c. 65–59 ka Howiesons Poort. These were periods when the technological and behavioural repertoire of early Homo sapiens expanded rapidly to include novel technologies such as heat treatment of lithic materials, pressure flaking of stone points, manufacture of complex armatures including the bow and arrow, and the production of symbolic artefacts including shell beads and engraved ochre, bone and ostrich eggshell. In this paper I first review briefly the historical background relating to the recognition of these techno-traditions; second, concentrate on the archaeological sites known to contain these assemblages within southern Africa; and third, discuss aspects of the precocious material culture that appears during these phases.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by a European Research Council Advanced Grant, TRACSYMBOLS No. 249587, awarded under the FP7 programme at the University of Bergen, Norway, by a National Research Foundation/Department of Science and Technology funded Chair at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and by a joint National Research Foundation/Norwegian Research Council grant. Karen van Niekerk and three referees kindly edited this paper and made useful suggestions.

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  1. Institute for Archaeology, History, Culture and Religion, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Christopher S. Henshilwood

  2. Institute for Human Evolution, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Christopher S. Henshilwood

  3. 167, Buitenkant Street, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

    Christopher S. Henshilwood

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Henshilwood, C.S. Late Pleistocene Techno-traditions in Southern Africa: A Review of the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort, c. 75–59 ka. J World Prehist 25, 205–237 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10963-012-9060-3

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