Site dynamics and technological organization within the Robberg: Results from Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1

Summary

The Robberg technocomplex of southern Africa (~26-12 thousand years ago) is the earliest well-defined and widespread technocomplex of the southern African Later Stone Age. Lithic assemblages indicate that place provisioning might have been a widespread feature of Robberg technological systems. However, the role of site function on Robberg assemblage composition remains poorly understood. Here we present the first descriptions of lithic assemblages assigned to the Robberg technocomplex from the site of Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1 (KEH-1), located on the modern-day southern coast of South Africa. Technological organization at KEH-1 differs in key ways from other published Robberg assemblages, showing lower reduction intensity, infrequent use of bipolar percussion, and low emphasis on lithic miniaturization. Our results suggest that KEH-1 may represent a temporary camp rather than a residential site during Robberg occupations. Data from KEH-1 highlight the importance of understanding how site dynamics influences lithic technological organization.

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