Abstract
Archaeological research at the site of Canteen Kopje, Northern Cape Province, South Africa, has focused on the rich Earlier Stone Age assemblages recovered from the Younger Vaal Gravels. This paper presents the results of excavation and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of the overlying Hutton Sands. We discuss the evidence for colonial period interaction between diamond miners and indigenous groups at the site, as well as the presence of an earlier phase of terminal Middle Stone Age/early Later Stone Age occupation. The OSL analyses demonstrate the potential distortion of OSL ages due to substantial bioturbation and its effect on the dating of archaeological sites situated in unconsolidated sands.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 351-363 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
Acknowledgments Research was carried out under SAHRA permit no. 80/04/06/016/51. Funding was provided by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the University of Toronto International Experiential Study Program. We would like to thank the director and staff of the McGregor Museum and the students from the University of Toronto who participated in the excavation. We thank the reviewers for their comments that greatly improved the manuscript.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada |
Keywords
- Bioturbation
- Canteen Kopje
- Colonial archaeology
- Early Later Stone Age
- Middle Stone Age
- Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)