Although grindstones - that is, pairs of stone implements used to grind, pound, pulverise or otherwise process intermediate materials - have been intensively studied by archaeologists in other parts of the world, in southern Africa to date they have received little attention. Despite a near-ubiquitous presence on Middle and Later Stone Age archaeological sites, their primary function in archaeological reconstructions has been as proxies for other behaviours. These include behavioural modernity; gender; particular plant types, such as geophytes/underground storage organs. This doctoral thesis interrogates grindstones with a view not only to establishing specific (rather than proxy) uses in the southern African archaeological record,but also as a means to explore the gathered side of hunter-gatherer lifeways, which have also historically been neglected. It does this by developing a methodological toolkit for grindstone analysis in southern Africa. Comparison of archaeological and historical literature from the southern African Grassland Biome and elsewhere suggests a tension between archaeological accounts which posit geophyte and mineral pigment grinding as a primary purpose for grindstones and ethnohistorical accounts suggesting that grass-processing was a staple of hunter-gatherer life. Finally, a corpus of putative grindstones from the site of Ha Makotoko in western Lesotho is typologically assessed and analysed for plant starches and phytoliths. It emerges that at this site, and in contrast to received wisdom, geophyte grinding was not extensive but by contrast, grass seed processing was practised. This belies models suggesting that C4 grass seeds were unlikely to have contributed to hunter-gatherer diets, and questions interpretations of grass 'bedding' as well as the distinction between 'forager' and 'farmer'. Most importantly, this thesis validates the idea that grindstone study is worthwhile, and should be integrated into wider lithic study in southern Africa as a matter of course.

Esta dissertação discute o contexto regional de ocupação das populações sambaquieiras do litoral sul do Estado de Santa Catarina em uma área lagunar de formação holocênica que, quando do máximo transgressivo do nível médio marinho, teria tomado a conformação de uma grande baía, com recortes microambientais variados e diversas formações insulares, denominada aqui como Paleolaguna de Santa Marta. Por meio de pesquisas bibliográficas, visitas de campo, levantamentos regionais extensivos, prospecções intensivas e intervenções arqueológicas, foi confeccionado um cadastro contendo informações de todos os sítios conhecidos na área (mais de 90 sambaquis, além de sítios relacionados aos grupos Guarani e Je do Sul), incluindo localização, implantação, estrutura estratigráfica, composição e estado de preservação, tendo-se também datado vários deles. Estes dados propiciaram uma análise de distribuição espacial e cronológica deste conjunto de sambaquis a partir de um enfoque regional, possibilitando inferências acerca do sistema de ocupação e territorialidade das populações pescadoras-caçadoras-coletoras que ali habitaram em um período compreendido entre 7000 e 1000 anos AP. / This dissertation discusses the settlement system of the sambaqui mounbuilders from the southern shores of Santa Catarina between 7000 and 1000 years BP, focusing in a regional level. The lagoonal study area has formerly been an open bay environment by the time of the transgressive maximum sea level, with a wider variety of micro-environmental settings and internal islands. By means of intensive field survey and systematic site intervening, a catalog of sites has been compiled with information on more than 90 sambaquis therein recorded so far (plus a number of later Guarani and southern Je sites), that includes site location and environmental setting, stratigraphy and composition, as well as their preservation conditions. A chronological framework has been established by dating several of these mounds, allowing the modeling of settlement evolution and territorial patterns of this long lasting, transitional, fisher-gatherer society.

Bibliography: pages 282-299. / Investigations in the archaeologically unexplored region of Namaqualand show that it was unoccupied for much of the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene. Marginally more favourable climatic conditions circa 2000 BP encouraged re-occupation of the region. It would appear that Khoe-speaking hunter-gatherers with livestock and pottery first entered Namaqualand along the Orange River before moving southward along the Atlantic coast. Both sheep and pottery are present at /Ai tomas in the Richtersveld and Spoeg River Cave on the coast, some 1900 years ago. This is strong evidence for a western route of Khoekhoen dispersal into southern Africa and invalidates one of the hypotheses proposed by Elphick in 1972. Domestic stock was initially only a minor addition to the economy and these early inhabitants of the region continued utilising wild plant foods and game, slaughtering their domestic stock only infrequently. It is proposed that hunter-gatherer society may undergo the structural changes necessary to become pastoralists and that there is evidence for this in the archaeological record from Namaqualand during the period 1900 to 1300 BP. The historical and ethnographic records relating to the Little Namaqua Khoekhoen indicates that gender conflict structured much of the lives of the historical population and it is postulated that the pre-colonial period was also characterised by changing gender relations. Central to this thesis is a consideration of the active role of material culture in negotiating relations between various interest groups within a society as well as structuring relations between 'ethnic' groups. Certain material culture items are identified which were used to negotiate and structure gender relations. The archaeological material from Namaqualand are therefore analysed in order to determine changing social relations through time. It is concluded that ethnic distinctions between pastoralist groups and hunter-gatherers in Namaqualand became more stressed with the arrival of the Dutch as a consequence of increasing competition for resources. The collapse of Namaqua Khoekhoen society was brought about as a result of trading excess stock for luxury items rather than in establishing stock associations. This thesis proposes that material culture from archaeological excavations be analysed for evidence of the structuring of within-group relations and that material cultural changes dating to within the last 2000 years should not automatically be ascribed to the presence of two 'ethnic' groups.

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