Abstract:
Little Muck Shelter in the middle Limpopo Valley has an unusually
large density of scrapers that increase in frequency from the last few
centuries BC into the first millennium AD, and then decline in the
early second millennium. Scraper densities rise even when all other
artefact categories decline. Backed tools, on the other hand, occur in
low frequencies and it is unclear why. In this report, we present an
analysis of the backed tool morphology and a preliminary examination
of macro-fractures. We show that the backed tools are broadly similar
to those found at other sites in the area but occur in different densities.
We also identify diagnostic impact fractures on 10 of the 27 backed
tools, which may indicate hunting. Our analysis demonstrates the
potential of such a study in understanding the function of the shelter;
for example, the low frequency of backed tools and abundance of
scrapers may underscore the site’s function as a trade or exchange
centre. The results help guide further research at the shelter.
