Archaeology of middle Pleistocene lacustrine and spring paleoenvironments in the Kapthurin Formation, Kenya

• Published in: Journal of anthropological archaeology 2012-12, Vol.31 (4), p.485-499
• Main Authors: Johnson, Cara Roure, McBrearty, Sally
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acheulian; Africa; Animals; Anthropology; Archaeology; Blades; Environmental change; Environmental studies; Flora; Hominids; Kenya; Methodology and general studies; Middle Pleistocene; Middle Stone Age; Palaeolithic and epipalaeolithic; Paleoecology; Pleistocene; Prehistoric era; Prehistory and protohistory; Southern and East Africa; Spring environments; Stone Age; Technological change; Tufa
• ISSN: 0278-4165; 1090-2686
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2012.05.001

► Blade technology originates 150,000years earlier than previously thought. ► Middle Pleistocene technologies contain more variation than previously thought. ► Springs are a focus of hominin subsistence behavior in semi-arid environments. ► Middle Pleistocene landscape use is similar to that of the late early Pleistocene. A number of key events occur in Africa during the middle Pleistocene including the disappearance of the Acheulian, the appearance of the Middle Stone Age, and the emergence of modern Homo sapiens. However, little is known about either the fossil or behavioral record for this critical time period. Excavation was undertaken at two middle Pleistocene archaeological sites, GnJh 42 and GnJh 50. These sites are located in close proximity to a large fresh water spring, a focal point on the landscape that supported a diverse plant and animal community. The lithic assemblages are dominated by flakes and cores, and lack all formal tools. However, the oldest evidence for systematic blade production can be found at these sites, indicating that important technological innovations were appearing at this time. Tendency to focus on the presence or absence of formal tools, means that assemblages of this age, lacking diagnostic artifacts, are typically subsumed within the Acheulian technocomplex. This practice disguises actual patterns of innovation and technological evolution. It is critical not to overlook this, as small-scale technological innovation allowed for more behavioral flexibility in response to rapid environmental change in a arid, mosaic environment.