Site Reconnaissance in the Kipsing and Tol River Watersheds of Central Kenya: Implications for Middle and Later Stone Age Land-Use Patterns

Abstract

Two seasons of archaeological site reconnaissance and geo-archaeological fieldwork in the Kipsing and Tol river valleys of central Kenya have resulted in (1) the location of 58 surface sites and 13 spot finds and (2) the excavation and dating of 11 alluvial stratigraphic profiles. These data are incorporated with our previous work in the study area to yield a preliminary interpretation of Middle and Later Stone Age tool technologies and land-use strategies during the Late Pleistocene period there. Specifically, the nature of the lithic inventories and observed distribution of archaeological sites suggests that people in the Middle Stone Age employed a “patch choice” resource and land-use strategy while those in the subsequent Later Stone Age period utilized a “logistical” strategy.