Technological diversity in the Late Pleistocene of the Nyanza Rift, Kenya: Archaeological excavations at Kapsarok 1 and Anderea’s Farm 1

Abstract

The archaeological record of Late Pleistocene Africa is characterized by behavioral diversity and change, notably the technological shift from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) to Later Stone Age (LSA). Recent research shows the MSA-LSA transition was a spatially and temporally complex process. Understanding this transition requires a composite record of archaeological sites from precise chronological and stratigraphic contexts within multiple regions. Here we present excavation and analysis of two open-air Late Pleistocene sites in chronological and geographic association: Anderea’s Farm 1 (GrJe-8) and Kapsarok 1 (GrJe-9), from the Nyanza Rift, Kenya. Volcanic ash correlations of artifact-bearing sediments provide ages of ∼ 45–36 ka for Anderea’s Farm 1 (GrJe-8) and ∼ 50 ka for Kapsarok 1 (GrJe-9). Locally procured lavas were used to produce different stone tools by disparate technological methods. Lithic production at Anderea’s Farm 1 focused on the manufacture of short irregular flakes using expedient and discoidal methods, and tools are dominated by heavy-duty types. In contrast, Kapsarok 1 is characterized by elongated and convergent blanks produced using hierarchical core technologies. Viewed together, Kapsarok 1 and Anderea’s Farm 1 emphasizes high diversity in Late Pleistocene technology of the Victoria Basin. We argue these different technologies are most parsimoniously interpreted as expressions of a broad and flexible behavioral repertoire. Further, our results emphasize how excavation and analysis of open-air archaeological sites in secure chronological and stratigraphic contexts provides the means to sample the necessary range of human behaviours across a landscape commensurate with past forager geographic ranges.