Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)

Autores
Esteban, Irene; Stratford, Dominic; Sievers, Christine; de la Peña, Paloma; Mauran, Guilhem; Backwell, Lucinda Ruth; d’Errico, Francesco; Wadley, Lyn
Año de publicación
2023
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Border Cave is a well-known South African Middle and Early Later Stone Age site located in KwaZulu-Natal. The site has exceptional plant preservation, unparalleled in the African Middle Stone Age archaeological record. This study focuses on the phytolith and FTIR analysis of two Members (2 BS and 2 WA) of the under-documented post-Howiesons Poort occupations dating to ∼60 ka. These members contain complex successions of vertically overlapping, interdigitating light brown sediments, plant bedding and combustion features of various sizes. The complexity and distinctiveness of these deposits provide an excellent opportunity for the study of plant exploitation strategies and their associated human behaviour. Our taphonomic assessment inferred, through the variability of phytolith properties and minerals composing archaeological layers, that specific occupations suffered more physical weathering than others, for example in the form of trampling. The preservation of fragile and highly soluble phytoliths (eudicot leaf phytoliths) and the high frequencies of articulated phytoliths indicates that some bedding deposits experienced little disturbance after their deposition. Not all bedding layers dating to ⁓60 ka show, from a phytolith perspective, the same plant composition, which could be explained in terms of changes in human preference for the use of plants over time to construct bedding or because distinct types of living floors are represented. Finally, the systematic application of phytoliths and FTIR to the complex archaeological sequence of Border Cave confirm these analyses can be used in the future to identify bedding deposits not visible to the naked eye, and behavioural patterns obscured by diagenetic or biased processes during sampling.
Fil: Esteban, Irene. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Stratford, Dominic. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Sievers, Christine. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: de la Peña, Paloma. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Mauran, Guilhem. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Backwell, Lucinda Ruth. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica. Grupo de Investigacion En Arqueologia Andina (arqand) ; Facultad de Cs.naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo ; Universidad Nacional de Tucuman; . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina
Fil: d’Errico, Francesco. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Wadley, Lyn. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Materia
BEDDING
FTIR
MIDDLE STONE AGE
PHYTOLITHS
PYROTECHNOLOGY
SOUTH AFRICA
TAPHONOMY
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/215222
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/215222
network_acronym_str CONICETDig
repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)Esteban, IreneStratford, DominicSievers, Christinede la Peña, PalomaMauran, GuilhemBackwell, Lucinda Ruthd’Errico, FrancescoWadley, LynBEDDINGFTIRMIDDLE STONE AGEPHYTOLITHSPYROTECHNOLOGYSOUTH AFRICATAPHONOMYhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6Border Cave is a well-known South African Middle and Early Later Stone Age site located in KwaZulu-Natal. The site has exceptional plant preservation, unparalleled in the African Middle Stone Age archaeological record. This study focuses on the phytolith and FTIR analysis of two Members (2 BS and 2 WA) of the under-documented post-Howiesons Poort occupations dating to ∼60 ka. These members contain complex successions of vertically overlapping, interdigitating light brown sediments, plant bedding and combustion features of various sizes. The complexity and distinctiveness of these deposits provide an excellent opportunity for the study of plant exploitation strategies and their associated human behaviour. Our taphonomic assessment inferred, through the variability of phytolith properties and minerals composing archaeological layers, that specific occupations suffered more physical weathering than others, for example in the form of trampling. The preservation of fragile and highly soluble phytoliths (eudicot leaf phytoliths) and the high frequencies of articulated phytoliths indicates that some bedding deposits experienced little disturbance after their deposition. Not all bedding layers dating to ⁓60 ka show, from a phytolith perspective, the same plant composition, which could be explained in terms of changes in human preference for the use of plants over time to construct bedding or because distinct types of living floors are represented. Finally, the systematic application of phytoliths and FTIR to the complex archaeological sequence of Border Cave confirm these analyses can be used in the future to identify bedding deposits not visible to the naked eye, and behavioural patterns obscured by diagenetic or biased processes during sampling.Fil: Esteban, Irene. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaFil: Stratford, Dominic. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaFil: Sievers, Christine. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaFil: de la Peña, Paloma. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaFil: Mauran, Guilhem. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaFil: Backwell, Lucinda Ruth. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica. Grupo de Investigacion En Arqueologia Andina (arqand) ; Facultad de Cs.naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo ; Universidad Nacional de Tucuman; . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: d’Errico, Francesco. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaFil: Wadley, Lyn. University of the Witwatersrand; SudáfricaPergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd2023-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/215222Esteban, Irene; Stratford, Dominic; Sievers, Christine; de la Peña, Paloma; Mauran, Guilhem; et al.; Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa); Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd; Quaternary Science Reviews; 300; 1-2023; 1-180277-3791CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379122005297info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107898info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-10-22T11:04:36Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/215222instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-10-22 11:04:36.638CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
title Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
spellingShingle Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
Esteban, Irene
BEDDING
FTIR
MIDDLE STONE AGE
PHYTOLITHS
PYROTECHNOLOGY
SOUTH AFRICA
TAPHONOMY
title_short Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
title_full Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
title_fullStr Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
title_full_unstemmed Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
title_sort Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Esteban, Irene
Stratford, Dominic
Sievers, Christine
de la Peña, Paloma
Mauran, Guilhem
Backwell, Lucinda Ruth
d’Errico, Francesco
Wadley, Lyn
author Esteban, Irene
author_facet Esteban, Irene
Stratford, Dominic
Sievers, Christine
de la Peña, Paloma
Mauran, Guilhem
Backwell, Lucinda Ruth
d’Errico, Francesco
Wadley, Lyn
author_role author
author2 Stratford, Dominic
Sievers, Christine
de la Peña, Paloma
Mauran, Guilhem
Backwell, Lucinda Ruth
d’Errico, Francesco
Wadley, Lyn
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv BEDDING
FTIR
MIDDLE STONE AGE
PHYTOLITHS
PYROTECHNOLOGY
SOUTH AFRICA
TAPHONOMY
topic BEDDING
FTIR
MIDDLE STONE AGE
PHYTOLITHS
PYROTECHNOLOGY
SOUTH AFRICA
TAPHONOMY
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Border Cave is a well-known South African Middle and Early Later Stone Age site located in KwaZulu-Natal. The site has exceptional plant preservation, unparalleled in the African Middle Stone Age archaeological record. This study focuses on the phytolith and FTIR analysis of two Members (2 BS and 2 WA) of the under-documented post-Howiesons Poort occupations dating to ∼60 ka. These members contain complex successions of vertically overlapping, interdigitating light brown sediments, plant bedding and combustion features of various sizes. The complexity and distinctiveness of these deposits provide an excellent opportunity for the study of plant exploitation strategies and their associated human behaviour. Our taphonomic assessment inferred, through the variability of phytolith properties and minerals composing archaeological layers, that specific occupations suffered more physical weathering than others, for example in the form of trampling. The preservation of fragile and highly soluble phytoliths (eudicot leaf phytoliths) and the high frequencies of articulated phytoliths indicates that some bedding deposits experienced little disturbance after their deposition. Not all bedding layers dating to ⁓60 ka show, from a phytolith perspective, the same plant composition, which could be explained in terms of changes in human preference for the use of plants over time to construct bedding or because distinct types of living floors are represented. Finally, the systematic application of phytoliths and FTIR to the complex archaeological sequence of Border Cave confirm these analyses can be used in the future to identify bedding deposits not visible to the naked eye, and behavioural patterns obscured by diagenetic or biased processes during sampling.
Fil: Esteban, Irene. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Stratford, Dominic. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Sievers, Christine. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: de la Peña, Paloma. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Mauran, Guilhem. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Backwell, Lucinda Ruth. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica. Grupo de Investigacion En Arqueologia Andina (arqand) ; Facultad de Cs.naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo ; Universidad Nacional de Tucuman; . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina
Fil: d’Errico, Francesco. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
Fil: Wadley, Lyn. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica
description Border Cave is a well-known South African Middle and Early Later Stone Age site located in KwaZulu-Natal. The site has exceptional plant preservation, unparalleled in the African Middle Stone Age archaeological record. This study focuses on the phytolith and FTIR analysis of two Members (2 BS and 2 WA) of the under-documented post-Howiesons Poort occupations dating to ∼60 ka. These members contain complex successions of vertically overlapping, interdigitating light brown sediments, plant bedding and combustion features of various sizes. The complexity and distinctiveness of these deposits provide an excellent opportunity for the study of plant exploitation strategies and their associated human behaviour. Our taphonomic assessment inferred, through the variability of phytolith properties and minerals composing archaeological layers, that specific occupations suffered more physical weathering than others, for example in the form of trampling. The preservation of fragile and highly soluble phytoliths (eudicot leaf phytoliths) and the high frequencies of articulated phytoliths indicates that some bedding deposits experienced little disturbance after their deposition. Not all bedding layers dating to ⁓60 ka show, from a phytolith perspective, the same plant composition, which could be explained in terms of changes in human preference for the use of plants over time to construct bedding or because distinct types of living floors are represented. Finally, the systematic application of phytoliths and FTIR to the complex archaeological sequence of Border Cave confirm these analyses can be used in the future to identify bedding deposits not visible to the naked eye, and behavioural patterns obscured by diagenetic or biased processes during sampling.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/215222
Esteban, Irene; Stratford, Dominic; Sievers, Christine; de la Peña, Paloma; Mauran, Guilhem; et al.; Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa); Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd; Quaternary Science Reviews; 300; 1-2023; 1-18
0277-3791
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/215222
identifier_str_mv Esteban, Irene; Stratford, Dominic; Sievers, Christine; de la Peña, Paloma; Mauran, Guilhem; et al.; Plants, people and fire: Phytolith and FTIR analyses of the post-Howiesons Poort occupations at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa); Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd; Quaternary Science Reviews; 300; 1-2023; 1-18
0277-3791
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379122005297
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107898
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 12.982451

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