Patterns in Caves: Foragers, Horticulturists, and the Use of Space

Abstract

Evidence concerning use of space in caves and rockshelters by present-day foragers and horticulturists in tropical and arid regions is reviewed. The implications of this evidence for cave/rockshelter archaeology are investigated. The various ways in which people from different cultural backgrounds adapt to naturally confined locations are described. Patterns of refuse disposal, the role of hearths, and the possibility of identifying activity areas are also explored. It is suggested that spatial adaptations to these sites are determined not by the constraints that these present to their occupants but by the ways in which the occupants perceive and experience space. An account is given of those dimensions of variability in site structure that appear likely to be useful in formulating a new agenda for spatial analysis of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites containing palimpsests of material. Finally, the necessity of adopting a comparative approach in order to understand the elements of spatial site structure is stressed.