Environment versus behaviour: Zooarchaeological and taphonomic analyses of fauna from the Still Bay layers at Blombos Cave, South Africa

Abstract

Zooarchaeological data offer a unique opportunity to examine both palaeoenvironmental and behavioural trends using single datasets. In this study, we combine taphonomic and palaeoecological analyses of the faunal remains from recent excavations from the Still Bay layers at Blombos Cave to explore subsistence behaviour during this significant period in behavioural modernity. The c. 77-72 ka Still Bay is linked to innovative technology and the expression of complex cognition but is often lumped together as a homogenous entity. Here, we assess subsistence strategies within the Still Bay at Blombos Cave by examining zooarchaeological data from each layer. We investigate temporal changes during this techno-complex in an attempt to place subsistence behaviour within a paleoecological context. Our results show significant differences in surface modification frequencies between the early and middle/later Still Bay phases. Large and medium-sized ungulates were processed differently and filleting was probably an important activity. The data show that changes in shellfish density from the early to later Still Bay correspond to changes in ungulate representation. This may be due to changing environmental conditions around Blombos or shifting foraging strategies. This shift may also be associated with transport decisions for larger mammals. We discuss mobility patterns and the connection between subsistence strategies, environmental change and occupational intensity during the Still Bay levels at Blombos Cave.