The Sedimentary Context of Open-Air Archaeology: A Case Study in the Western Cape’s Doring River Valley, South Africa

Author:

Phillips Natasha12ORCID,Moffat Ian3ORCID,Mackay Alex12,Jones Brian G.1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia

2. Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Beattie Building, 3rd Floor, University Avenue, Upper Campus, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

3. Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia

Abstract

Despite the wealth of Late Pleistocene archaeology that exists across southern Africa’s open landscape, it is routinely neglected in favour of rock shelter (re)excavation, biasing interpretation of human–environment interaction. This is compounded by the scarcity of open-air studies that use geoarchaeological methods to investigate the history and processes involved in their formation. The open-air archaeology of the Doring River Valley is an example of this, despite nearly a decade of dedicated study and publication. Consequently, there remains a limited and untested understanding of the valley’s formation history. This paper rectifies this by providing a sedimentary context for the surface archaeology exposed across one of the Doring River Valley’s artefact-baring localities, Uitspankraal 7 (UPK7). Characterisation, particle size, mineralogical, morphometric, and geophysical analysis of UPK7′s sand mantle resulted in the identification of four artefact-bearing sedimentary units, the aeolian and pedogenic processes involved in their formation, and their proposed order of deposition. This provides a stratigraphic, taphonomic, and environmental context against which chronometric dating and an analysis of the taphonomic, spatio-temporal, and technological composition of UPK7′s surface archaeology can be compared. This work is the first vital step towards understanding the depositional and behavioural history of a landscape, irrespective of context type.

Funder

Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Award

Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Award

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Earth-Surface Processes,Soil Science

Reference89 articles.

1. Homo sapiens origins and evolution in the Kalahari Basin, southern Africa;Wilkins;Evol. Anthropol. Issues News Rev.,2021

2. From Veld to Coast: Towards an Understanding of the Diverse Landscapes’ Uses by Past Foragers in Southern Africa;Val;J. Paleolit. Archaeol.,2022

3. Evaluating erosional impacts on open-air archaeological sites along the Doring River, South Africa: Methods and implications for research prioritization;Ames;Archaeol. Anthropol. Sci.,2020

4. Kuman, K. (1989). Florisbad and =/Gi: The Contribution of Open-Air Sites to Study of the Middle Stone Age in Southern Africa. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania].

5. Sampson, C.G. (1968). The Middle Stone Age Industries of the Orange River Scheme Area, National Museum.

Cited by 3 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3