Settlement patterns during the Earlier and Middle Stone Age around Langebaan Lagoon, Western Cape (South Africa)

Abstract

The landscape around Langebaan Lagoon in the Western Cape of South Africa contains a rich archive of Middle and Late Pleistocene hominin behavior. Stone Age localities of all ages are abundant and present a valuable perspective on the region’s settlement history. A complex pattern of land use is evident starting with an analysis of the Earlier Stone Age (ESA) collections from Anyskop combined with a review of data from Elandsfontein and Duinefontein. These Late Acheulian assemblages demonstrate an emphasis on handaxe production, the exploitation of medium and large game, and use of non-local raw materials. While seasonal pans provided water for animals and humans at these ESA localities, Anyskop is distinctive because of its hilltop setting, lacking water and direct access to game. Middle Stone Age (MSA) assemblages from Geelbek and Anyskop combined with a review of data from Hoedjiespunt, Sea Harvest and Ysterfontein provide further evidence for a regional settlement system that also incorporated non-local raw materials into the lithic provisioning strategy. Some MSA lithic technologies in the Western Cape were aimed at the production of bifacial points and blades, as well as backed elements. Subsistence strategies expanded to encompass the utilization of both terrestrial and marine resources. Although symbolic artifacts are rare from these sites, worked ochre is present at Hoedjiespunt. These behavioral patterns suggest that the Middle and Late Pleistocene hominins who left these ESA and MSA materials behind were adept masters of their environment with adaptations well suited to the West Coast landscape.