Comparing morphological variability in handaxes from Penhill Farm and Amanzi Springs, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Recent excavations at Penhill Farm and Amanzi Springs have reinvigorated interest in the Acheulean archaeological record of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. While this research now provides valuable detail on hominin adaptations in environments that differ from the interior, few Acheulean assemblages in this region have been recorded or thoroughly analysed. Here we compare Acheulean handaxes from Penhill Farm and the Amanzi Springs Area 1 locality to help characterise the expression of this technocomplex in the Eastern Cape. We employ a multivariate analysis of allometry to highlight the relationship between shape variance in relation to the size of handaxes, which further provide perspective on shaping processes. Results demonstrate high levels of techno-morphological variability that may distinguish Acheulean handaxes in the Eastern Cape region from sites elsewhere. We further argue that morphological variation in handaxes from Penhill Farm and Amanzi Springs may have also been influenced by site function, discard behaviours and group mobility patterns. These data refute the notion that the Acheulean technocomplex represents a single, homogenous technological entity, but rather was a flexible tradition that was influenced by region-specific factors.