Many early Homo sapiens cultural and technological innovations in southern Africa were not perpetuated, because population densities were low and interaction between group was often sporadic and ephemeral. Some of the earliest evidence of these achievements was documented at Blombos cave about 300km east of Cape Town on the Indian Ocean seaboard. Level M [OSL date 72.7 +/- 3.1Ka] yielded engraved ochre fragments, 39 shell beads, >400 bifacial lanceolot stone points, 10 bone artifacts and hundreds of pieces of ochre [G Henshilwood,2004]. F d'Errico commissioned morometric, taphonomic and microscopic analyses of the 39 beads from layer M. These studies established that the cave dwellers selected and pierced the shells so that they could wear the shell necklaces as personal ornaments. The presence of reef fish bones in the M cultural horizon implies that the troglodytes lured the fish into shallow water where they could be speared or possibly be netted. These semi-sedentary people had abundant natural resources, which provided them with the leisure time to express their creative talents [G Henshilwood,2004].
Blombos cave was not he only southern African site to provide evidence of early cognizance .An infant inhumation [ca 80-70Ka] at the Border cave is associated with a Conus shell, which had been obtained from the seashore about 80km distant. Ostrich egg beads, ochre pencils, carved bones and lithics were discovered at the Loiyangalani River valley in Tanzania [age??-280-45?Ka:A Mabulla,2004]. Geological field work at Pinnacle Point on the seaboard at the southern extremity of Africa failed to locate lithic outcrops, which matched the fine grained, reddish silcrete artifacts that had been recovered from the site. The silcrete proximal to the site was not suitable to make tools.A large flake of silcrete was retrieved from the ashes in the remains of a hearth. It had a glossy sheen, that was similar to the tools, that had been manufactured at the site. Tests were conducted on the local silcrete to establish, whether heat could enhance the properties of the rocks to the degree that they could be easily flaked. Heated silcrete enabled the researchers to duplicate the lithic implements at Pinnacle Point. Hunter-gatherers had altered the properties of silcrete with heat to facilitate tool manufacture, which indicates technical cognitive complexity [K Brown,2009].
Diepkloof rock shelter is about 180km north of Cape Town on the western Cape above the Verlornveri River 18km from the Atlantic Ocean coast line. Approximately 270 engraved ostrich egg shell fragments were recovered from the middle Howieson's Poort cultural horizon [ca 60 +/-5Ka]. These fragments exhibit a set of four repetitive, linear motifs in the form of a hatched band motif, a parallel to sub-parallel line motif, an intersecting line motif and a cross hatching motif. These patterns share a common geometric concept. The most common engraved motif is comprised of two long parallel lines, which are intersected at roughly right angles by shorter, regularly spaced lines, that form a hatched band. Motif engravings appear to be standardized. However line widths and spacing between the hatched lines is variable. Temporally there was a change in the most common design. At the Deipkloof site the engravings on the egg shell fragments are deemed to be intentional. There seems to have been traditional methods for composing designs, with some scope for individual expression. These engravings exhibit a clear standardization and repetitive patterns, which might have been in accordance with a mental design, which was shared by a group. It is one, if not the earliest, evidence of a graphic tradition among prehistoric hunter gatherers. These engravings provide evidence of symbolic communication during the Howieson's Poort cultural phase in conjunction with other innovative elements, which include new hunting technologies and strategies for long distance , raw material procurement. It documents the emergence and demise of symbolic social behaviour ca 60Ka ago [P Texier,2010]. Except for two ostrich egg shell, with linear engravings at the Apollo 11 site in Nambia [R Vogeleang,1998] ,the Deipkloof engravings are unique at Howieson's Poort sites. They emphasis the existence of a distinct tradition within the broad and technically innovative Howieson's Poort complex [P Texier,2010].
Sibuda cave in South Africa yielded a ca 64Ka old lithic points with traces of bone and blood on them .Analysis of these small geometric artifacts for impact and damage revealed, that the points were probably projectile tips , rather than components of a hand held spear. Traces of plant glue could infer that the points, were attached to a wooden shaft, which formed a composite weapon. Hunting with a bow and arrow requires intricate multi-stage planning; material collection and tool preparation, which implies a range of innovative social communicative skills. Regular use of these weapons was probably deferred until a later era [L Wadley, M Lombard,2010].
The Middle Stone Age hunter-gatherers of southern Africa had the ability to be creative and innovative, but they did not have extensive, social network contacts, which could disperse their knowledge over a large area and perpetuate their achievements. Coevally a band European Neanderthals processed birch tar to haft implements. Their accomplishment suffered the same fate as the southern African innovations. Middle stone Age hunter-gatherers did not lack intelligence.
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