Abstract
This paper presents preliminary results from a newly excavated open-air Later Stone Age site attributed to the Wilton Industry at Kathu Pan 6 in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Basic data on the lithics, fauna (including a large ivory fragment), and ostrich eggshell (including beads) recovered during two seasons of excavation (2016–2017) are presented and this material is contextualized through comparison with neighboring sites. Spatial analysis of the artifact distribution from the small exposure from the 2017 season suggests a spatially structured occupation. The Wilton open-air occupation of Kathu Pan 6 offers a new perspective on the poorly understood Later Stone Age of the southern fringes of the Kalahari.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-19 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Journal of African Archaeology |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2023 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© WENDY BLACK ET AL., 2023.
Funding
Thanks to Prof. David Morris, McGregor Museum, Kimberley for making access to museum collections and resources possible. We also acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Paul Isaacs (Iziko Museum volunteer) and Mr. Benjamin Marais (Iziko Museum collections contract staff) whose interest in Later Stone Age archaeology assisted in artefact classifications and data collection. Funding for fieldwork at Kathu Pan 6 was provided under a grant from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to Chazan. All fieldwork was carried out under permit from the South African Heritage Resources Agency.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| South African Heritage Resources Agency | |
| Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada |
Keywords
- Kalahari
- Kathu
- Later Stone Age
- South Africa
- Wilton
- archaeology
- faunal analysis
- lithic analysis