Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa
Klasies River is an important site for the study of the evolution of Homo sapiens, understanding modern behaviour and human interaction with the environment during the Middle Stone Age. The faunal sample from the RS sub-member in Cave 1B (MSA I), dating to ca. 115 000 years ago and older, was recen...
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| Language: | English |
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UJ Press
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Southern African Field Archaeology |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/safa/article/view/3144 |
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| author | Joel Ezeimo Sarah Wurz Shaw Badenhorst |
| author_facet | Joel Ezeimo Sarah Wurz Shaw Badenhorst |
| author_sort | Joel Ezeimo |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Klasies River is an important site for the study of the evolution of Homo sapiens, understanding modern behaviour and human interaction with the environment during the Middle Stone Age. The faunal sample from the RS sub-member in Cave 1B (MSA I), dating to ca. 115 000 years ago and older, was recently analysed. The results indicate that humans were hunting a variety of prey. The most common taxa in the sample are indeterminate medium birds, indeterminate small mammals, rock hyraxes, and indeterminate medium mammals. Based on multiple lines of evidence including the presence of: cultural artefacts, shellfish, tortoises, large mammals, butchery marks, and burnt specimens; and, a lack of carnivore taxa compared to ungulates (as reflected in the low carnivore-ungulate ratio), hyena coprolites and beak damage, coupled with infrequent baboons and the absence of leopards (as reflected in the low leopard index), it is apparent that humans were the main agent of accumulation of the fauna. However, other agents of accumulation such as brown hyenas, leopards and raptors likely contributed some faunal remains, especially of smaller taxa.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6abc48ea4d7549cbbf33ac1a8aa59ac2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1019-5785 2789-1844 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | UJ Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Southern African Field Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj-art-6abc48ea4d7549cbbf33ac1a8aa59ac22025-08-20T02:24:31ZengUJ PressSouthern African Field Archaeology1019-57852789-18442024-06-011910.36615/safa.19.3144.2024Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South AfricaJoel Ezeimo0Sarah Wurz1Shaw Badenhorst2School of Geosciences, University of the WitwatersrandSchool of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand/Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour, University of BergenEvolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand Klasies River is an important site for the study of the evolution of Homo sapiens, understanding modern behaviour and human interaction with the environment during the Middle Stone Age. The faunal sample from the RS sub-member in Cave 1B (MSA I), dating to ca. 115 000 years ago and older, was recently analysed. The results indicate that humans were hunting a variety of prey. The most common taxa in the sample are indeterminate medium birds, indeterminate small mammals, rock hyraxes, and indeterminate medium mammals. Based on multiple lines of evidence including the presence of: cultural artefacts, shellfish, tortoises, large mammals, butchery marks, and burnt specimens; and, a lack of carnivore taxa compared to ungulates (as reflected in the low carnivore-ungulate ratio), hyena coprolites and beak damage, coupled with infrequent baboons and the absence of leopards (as reflected in the low leopard index), it is apparent that humans were the main agent of accumulation of the fauna. However, other agents of accumulation such as brown hyenas, leopards and raptors likely contributed some faunal remains, especially of smaller taxa. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/safa/article/view/3144zooarchaeologytaphonomymarine isotope stage 5d-eKlasies Patternbutchery marks |
| spellingShingle | Joel Ezeimo Sarah Wurz Shaw Badenhorst Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa Southern African Field Archaeology zooarchaeology taphonomy marine isotope stage 5d-e Klasies Pattern butchery marks |
| title | Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa |
| title_full | Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa |
| title_short | Middle Stone Age fauna from the RS sub-member (MSA I) at Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa |
| title_sort | middle stone age fauna from the rs sub member msa i at cave 1b klasies river main site south africa |
| topic | zooarchaeology taphonomy marine isotope stage 5d-e Klasies Pattern butchery marks |
| url | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/safa/article/view/3144 |
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