The expansion of modern human populations in Africa 80,000 to 60,000 years ago and their initial exodus out have been tentatively linked two phases technological behavioral innovation within the Middle Stone Age southern Africa-the Still Bay Howieson's Poort industries-that are associated with early evidence for symbols personal ornaments. Establishing correct sequence events, however, has hampered by inadequate chronologies. We report ages nine sites from varied climatic ecological zones...

Compound adhesives made from red ochre mixed with plant gum were used in the Middle Stone Age (MSA), South Africa. Replications reported here suggest that early artisans did not merely color their glues red; they deliberately effected physical transformations involving chemical changes acidic to less pH, dehydration of adhesive near wood fires, and mechanical workability electrostatic forces. Some steps required for making compound seem impossible without multitasking abstract thought. This...

List of contributors Preface Christine Hastorf 1. Introduction Margaret W. Conkey and A. 2. Experimenting with style in archaeology: some historical theoretical issues 3. Style history art Whitney Davis 4. ethnicity the case for isochrestism James R. Sackett 5. as quality Ian Hodder 6. Investigating style: an exploratory analysis Plains burials William K. Macdonald 7. Sociopolitical implications stylistic variation American southwest Stephen Plog 8. iconography legitimation complex chiefdoms...

Micromorphological analysis of sediments from the Middle Stone Age site Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, provides a high-resolution sequence and evidence formation processes predominantly anthropogenic deposits. This methodology allows for detailed interpretation individual activities, including construction hearths bedding maintenance occupational surfaces through sweep out repeated burning bedding. also context evaluating other studies at relating to magnetic susceptibility,...

Early humans constructed sleeping mats from local plants, including some with insecticidal properties.

Africa's Middle Stone Age (MSA) may have lasted almost half a million years, but its earliest expression is not yet well understood. The MSA best known for innovations that appear in the archaeological record at various times after about 200,000 years ago with first appearance of Homo sapiens. These novel behaviours embrace hafting technology, use compound paints and adhesives, ingenious lithic technology included pressure flaking heat treatment rock, engraving ochre eggshell geometric...

Storage of symbolic information outside the human brain is accepted here as first undisputed evidence for cultural modernity. In hunter-gatherer context Stone Age this storage could include artwork, rapidly changing artefact styles and organized spatial layout campsites. Modern behaviour in distinguished by a use space material culture to define social relationships, including significant groupings based on attributes such kinship, gender, age or skill. Symbolism maintains, negotiates,...

1.The Archaeology of Childhood in Context Anthropology The Importance an Chapter Organization 2. Theorizing Introducing the Child's World Children and Gender: Cultural Categories as Active Participants Past Moving forward: Socialization Study 3. Creation Childhood: Idea Concept Socialization: An Intergenerational Discourse Agents Imparting Knowledge Across Cultures 4. Material Culture Multiple Meanings Use Culture: Toys Playthings Identifying Archaeological Contexts Making Apprenticeship...

List of tables and figures Preface 1. Archaeology in South Asia Part I. Constituent Elements: 2. Prehistoric environments 3. The earliest Asians 4. Hunter-gatherers nomadic pastoralists 5. first agricultural communities II. Indus Urbanism: 6. early period 7. mature civilization - I 8. II III. Legacy the Civilization: 9. aftermath Ganges systems 10. Peninsular India 11. arrival Indo-Aryan speaking people spread languages 12. Iron Age emergence classical Indian 13. Subcontinental unity...

Compound adhesives were made in southern Africa at least 70,000 years ago, where they used to attach similarly shaped stone segments hafts. Mental rotation, a capacity implying advanced working‐memory capacity, was required place the various positions create novel weapons and tools. The compound glues fix shafts are from disparate ingredients, using an irreversible process. steps for compound‐adhesive manufacture demonstrate multitasking use of abstraction recursion. As is case recursive...

Ochre is well-known as a substance used in Stone Age symbolism, but it can be shown to have had practical functions too. The authors microscopic examination of Middle tools show they been hafted, making use an adhesive compound which included ochre its recipe.

Cognitive complexity is defined here as the capacity for abstract thought, analogical reasoning, cognitive fluidity, innovative complex goal-directed actions, flexibility in problem-solving, multi-tasking, task switching, response inhibition and planning over long distances or time. Some of these attributes are archaeologically recognizable transformative technologies such heat treatment rocks ochre, manufacture compound adhesives paints. Advanced executive functions brain also required...

The classification of archaeological assemblages in the Middle Stone Age South Africa terms diversity and temporal continuity has significant implications with respect to recent cultural evolutionary models which propose either gradual accumulation or discontinuous, episodic processes for emergence diffusion traits. We present results a systematic technological typological analysis Still Bay from Sibudu Blombos. A similar approach is used Howiesons Poort (HP) seen comparison broadly...

Middle Stone Age cooking Early evidence of cooked starchy plant food is sparse, yet the consumption roots likely to have been a key innovation in human diet. Wadley et al. report identification whole, charred rhizomes plants genus Hypoxis from Border Cave, South Africa, dated up 170,000 years ago. These archaeobotanical remains represent earliest direct for underground storage organs. The edible appear and consumed cave by humans at site. has wide geographical distribution, suggesting that...