Abstract:
In this paper,we document two newAcheulean sites located in alluvial
terraces bordering the lower Sundays River, Eastern Cape Province,
South Africa. These terraces have been the subject of geomorphological
studies in the past, and most recently they have been dated using the
cosmogenic nuclide burial method (Erlanger et al. 2012; Granger
et al. 2013). Here, we provide new data that help improve our understanding
of the Eastern Cape Earlier Stone Age (ESA) sequence by
providing a basic assessment of site context, artefact typology and
technology at two datedAcheulean locations: Atmar (0.65±0.12 Ma)
and Bernol (1.14±0.20 Ma) Farms. Until now,we have relied on two
sites to interpret this region’s early archaeology, Amanzi Springs and
Geelhoutboom, the former being the only site to ever be excavated. This
research thus provides the first well-dated ESA sites for this region,
confirming the presence of Acheulean artefacts within these terraces,
originally described by Ruddock (1957). Key trends in artefact production
include: simple core reduction strategies on primarily cobble
blanks; low levels of reduction on all cores and formal tools; retouched
tools occur primarily on flake blanks with little emphasis on careful
edge modification; large cutting tools (LCTs) are variable in size and
shape, flake blanks are favoured and shaped through bifacial reduction
across large portions of the tools, yet cortex is retained on most, which
overall indicates that shaping is limited.
