A5041338986- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Archaeology and Rock Art Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Global Maritime and Colonial Histories
- South African History and Culture
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Forensic and Genetic Research
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Legal Issues in South Africa
- Historical and Archaeological Studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- African history and culture analysis
- Radiomics and Machine Learning in Medical Imaging
- Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Paleopathology and ancient diseases
- African Studies and Geopolitics
- Advanced Clustering Algorithms Research
- Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Geological formations and processes
- Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
University of Toronto
2011-2024
The Scarborough Hospital
2009-2024
University of the Witwatersrand
2016-2024
University of Cape Town
2006
Founder effects in modern populations The genomes of ancient humans can reveal patterns early human migration (see the Perspective by Achilli et al. ). Iceland has a genetically distinct population, despite relatively recent settlement (∼1100 years ago). Ebenesersdóttir examined Icelandic people, dating to near colonization Iceland, and compared them with modernday populations. DNA revealed that founders had Gaelic Norse origins. Genetic drift since initial left Icelanders allele frequencies...
Hunter-gatherer exchange networks dampen subsistence and reproductive risks by building relationships of mutual support outside local groups that are underwritten symbolic gift exchange. Hxaro, the system delayed reciprocity between Ju/'hoãn individuals in southern Africa's Kalahari Desert, is best-known such example basis for most analogies models hunter-gatherer prehistory. However, its antiquity, drivers, development remain unclear, as they do long-distance exchanges among African...
In order to calibrate radiocarbon ages based on samples with a marine carbon component it is important know the reservoir correction or ΔR value. This study measured both known-age pre-bomb shells and paired terrestrial from two regions west coast of South Africa: southwestern Cape Namaqualand. Pooling data by region produces values that are similar enough use weighted mean 146 ± 85 14 C years correctly shell mixed ages. There however temporal differences in throughout Holocene, which we...
Determining the appropriate approach to calibrating radiocarbon dates is challenging when unknown and variable fractions of carbon sample are derived from terrestrial marine systems. Uncalibrated a large number human skeletons Western Cape Southern locales, South Africa ( n = 187), can be used explore alternate approaches correction. The that estimates theoretically expected minimum maximum values for (“expected”) compared observed (“observed”). Two case studies explored, wherein interred...
ABSTRACT Evidence for human occupation of southern Africa's high‐altitude Maloti–Drakensberg Mountains is surprisingly common in the last glacial, yet attraction this relatively severe, cold region hunter‐foragers remains unclear. Sehonghong Rockshelter (1870 m asl), eastern Lesotho Highlands, provides evidence spanning Marine Isotope Stage 3 through late Holocene. Excellent organic preservation opportunities establishing multiple palaeoenvironmental proxy records to address conundrum. In...
ABSTRACT Hunting and gathering was practiced for many hundreds of thousands years in South Africa's Western Cape region, until ceramics a stock-keeping economy first appeared c. 2,000 ago, the Elands Bay Lamberts areas 200 later. Subsistence settlement patterns this part West Coast Africa changed dramatically after date, but nature interactions between indigenous groups engaging with these two types subsistence practices is still poorly understood. The cultural-contact scenarios so far...
South Africa's northern Namaqualand coastal desert is the southern extension of Namib. Today, this region semi-desert with patchy subsistence resources and scarce, unpredictable rainfall. Yet ancient landscape possesses residues human activity stretching back into Middle Pleistocene, evidenced by heavily weathered surface finds, including handaxes Victoria West cores. Such old finds in so harsh an environment raise important questions: how do movements area relate to local...
This paper employs a quantitative analysis of lexical data to generate tree describing the historical relationships among Iroquoian languages. An alternative glottochronology is used estimate timing branching events within tree. We homeland language family using and geographic distance measures then compare this with determinations in literature. Our results suggest that Proto-Iroquoian dates around 2624 bc, Finger Lakes region west-central New York most likely homeland. The also revealed...
Abstract Investigation of Homo sapiens ’ palaeogeographic expansion into African mountain environments are changing the understanding our species’ adaptions to various extreme Pleistocene climates and habitats. Here, we present a vegetation precipitation record from Ha Makotoko rockshelter in western Lesotho, which extends ~60,000 1,000 years ago. Stable carbon isotope ratios plant wax biomarkers indicate constant C 3 -dominated ecosystem up about 5,000 ago, followed by 4 grassland due...
Re-excavation of Ha Makotoko and Ntloana Tšoana rock-shelters in western Lesotho, produced abundant faunal remains (both macro micro) from people using the Robberg technocomplex during late Pleistocene (Ha (15.4–13.4 kcal. BP) early Holocene (Ntloana 11.1–10.2 BP). This material allows us to identify subsistence strategies they employed, unbiased Simpson's evenness index (1-D′), Shannon's track diet breadth. Detailed analyses sites' microfauna indicates that eagle owls and/or small...
This paper evaluates chronological trends in the presence and absence of domestic animal bone (sheep, goat, cattle) pottery Namaqualand, proposed gateway to rest South Africa for early herders or hunter-gatherers with sheep ceramics. We update date calibrations local ΔR corrections mixtures recent calibration curves include five previously unpublished dates. use histograms calibrated medians, sorted 100-year bins, assess sustained regional patterns dates associated (n = 73). While too small...