A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2016. / ABSTRACT
Sibudu rock shelter was occupied by hunter gatherer groups of modern humans
during the Middle Stone Age between 77 and 38 000 (38 ka) years ago. Sibudu is
in the summer rainfall region and is situated about 15 km inland of the eastern
coast of South Africa. The site includes technological industries such as Still Bay
and Howiesons Poort that are distinguished by specific stone tool types. Woody
taxa identified from archaeological charcoal in this site, indicate changes in
vegetation and wood use. Archaeological charcoal specimens, specifically from
hearths on three putative occupation floors, were analysed for behavioural
information about wood selection and use. Two of the stratigraphic layers, BYA2
(i) and SPCA, are approximately 58 ka old and the MOD layer is approximately 49
ka old. All three layers contain tools from the post-Howiesons Poort industry.
Identifications of woody taxa were made by means of a comparative charcoal
reference collection and the InsideWood database. Charcoal was studied under
stereo and reflective light microscopes. Woody taxa identified confirmed that
the coldest, driest phase of occupation was at approximately 58 ka. Bushveld
woods, including five Acacia types, have been identified in charcoal from MOD
layer, ~49 ka. The vegetation mosaic was different from today’s coastal forest
and savanna near Sibudu. The availability of natural wood around Sibudu, visible
in the type of wood burnt in hearths, has changed since 58 ka and 49 ka for
either climatic or anthropogenic reasons or for a combination of these. In all
three layers, the wood bundles include tinder, fuel, and a selection of woody
plants that today are known to have medicinal bark, leaves and wood. People
may have selected wood for burning properties (for example, temperature, light
and coal production) and for medicine. Woods suitable for making firesticks for
starting fires by means of friction are present. Wood from Spirostachys africana
(tambotie) occurs in one hearth in each of the three layers. Since Spirostachys
africana is normally avoided in cooking fires as it is poisonous, this suggests that
the wood was selected deliberately and burnt for insecticidal smoke or other
medicinal purposes. Tarchonanthus parvicapitulatus (syn. T. camphoratus)
charcoal occurred in layer SPCA. This adds to the previous evidence of the use of
aromatic plants at Sibudu, where sedge bedding was topped with aromatic,
insecticidal Cryptocarya woodii (river-quince) leaves (Wadley et al. 2011. Science
334 (6061): 1388-1391). Wood use is different between hearths and surrounding
sediments and between occupations dating 58 ka and 49 ka.
Keywords: phytomedicine, Sibudu, Spirostachys africana, Acacia, charcoal
analysis, wood anatomy / LG2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/21655 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Lennox, Sandra Janet |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (227 leaves), application/pdf, application/pdf |
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