Student Number : 9903519M -
MSc research report -
School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies -
Faculty of Science / Goldsmith’s is a newly discovered fossil and archaeological site 4km south-west of the
famous Sterkfontein Cave Site, in the buffer zone of the Cradle of Humankind World
Heritage Site. It preserves one of the rare occurrences in South African fossil cave sites of
stone artefacts with associated fossil fauna. Thirteen artefacts from two Stone Age
cultures are represented within the site: namely the Earlier Stone Age and the Middle
Stone Age. Eleven stone artefacts represent the Earlier Stone Age, dated to ca, 2-1
million years within the Sterkfontein Valley sites, while two artefacts represent the MSA.
The stone tools from both cultures are not embedded in breccia and may have originated
from decalcified breccias, or alternatively from slope wash. Various faunal taxa were
recovered including bovids, primates, carnivores and others. Carnivores are the most
highly represented, followed by bovids. Analysis of bone surface modifications indicate
that the majority of the bones are slightly weathered, and some bone specimens are also
abraded, suggesting that they may have accumulated through slope wash. The high
frequencies of carnivore remains, including Dinofelis and a representation of most
carnivore body parts, support a possible death trap scenario. The fauna suggests a
palaeoenvironment with open woodland or savannah within the vicinity of a closed
environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/2061 |
| Date | 21 February 2007 |
| Creators | Mokokwe, Winnie Dipuo |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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