Abstract
Cover sand is ubiquitous across much of northern South Africa, yet few areas have been geomorphologically investigated. Cover sands at the Hackthorne 1 Stone Age site, southern Tuli Basin, provide an opportunity to investigate the granulometry and geomorphology of artifact-bearing sands overlying weathered, calcretized Miocene alluvial deposits. Cover sands and potential sediment sources are investigated, specifically to understand the nature and origin of the regional sediments. Grain-size characteristics of the sand mantle at the Hackthorne 1 site suggest that the cover sand is eolian in origin. It is further postulated that the sand may represent an outlier of the Kalahari, particularly given its relatively close proximity to the west of the site. However, alluvial sediments contained within the underlying calcrete are being exhumed through dissolution, creating basal lags of alluvial gravels and mixing with the mantling eolian sands. Solution pits in the calcrete (makondos) concentrate these alluvial sediments and artifacts, and form coarse lag deposits at the base of makondos.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
