The use of cryptotephra to address big questions through improved age models and inter-regional comparisons

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Early human adaptation on the African coasts: Comparing northwest Morocco and the Cape of South Africa" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Using far-travelled volcanic ash in tephrochronological studies has transformed this technique. Traditionally, tephrochronology used visible tephra layers. However, methodological advances extended its capabilities to detect non-visible horizons (cryptotephra) which can be traced 1000s of km from source eruptions. The discovery of 74 ka Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) at Pinnacle Point 5-6N and Vleesbaai demonstrate the significance of cryptotephra and how it can be used in regions that are not volcanically active during periods of human evolution. Additionally, with the recent identification of YTT at Shinfa-Metema 1 in northwest Ethiopia, it is now possible to correlate archaeological deposits between southern and eastern Africa at a two-week resolution. This resolution cannot be attained with other dating methods. We can now ask questions about early human behavior across vast regions. Here, I will report on recent discoveries of cryptotephra horizons throughout South Africa. I will also provide an overview of the North African tephra record and examine how similar deposits help refine the archaeological record in this region. With the continuous identification of YTT in ultra-distal localities, it is critical to assess new regions that hold a potential for the use of cryptotephra to advance the way we ask questions in archaeological research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Early human adaptation on the African coasts: Comparing northwest Morocco and the Cape of South Africa

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50709