How to Deal with Homogeneous Stratigraphies: Excavation, Sampling, and Analysis Strategies at Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Developing Paleolithic Excavation Methods for the Twenty-First Century" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

To ensure proper context control for archaeological samples, it is crucial that excavations determine and, where possible, follow the natural stratigraphic subdivisions in a sedimentary sequence. In cases with a single, unchanging source of sedimentary input, this may pose challenges. We present our strategies to deal with a >2 m deep homogeneous Pleistocene stratigraphy at Umhlatuzana rockshelter in South Africa, yielding archaeological remains from the Middle Stone Age. The site was originally excavated during a rescue project in 5–10 cm deep artificial spits for lack of visible stratigraphy. We revisited the shelter in 2018 and 2019. We integrate current standard practice such as piece-plotting archaeological materials with digital methods such as cluster analysis and geoarchaeological analyses (e.g., micromorphology, sedimentological analyses, geochemical analyses) to track the different sources of sedimentary input. We also develop an intensive sediment sampling strategy to illuminate geochemical variation within the sequence and postdepositional alterations affecting preservation conditions. We manage to reconstruct a natural stratigraphy of the site combining these methodologies, resulting in a radically changed understanding of the stratigraphy, depositional environment, and mechanisms of postdepositional disturbance.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Developing Paleolithic Excavation Methods for the Twenty-First Century   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36576.0