The Hargeisan revisited: Lithic industries from shelter 7 of Laas Geel, Somaliland and the transition between the Middle and Late Stone Age in the Horn of Africa

Abstract

This paper presents the lithic analysis from the stratified deposits of one of the Laas Geel rock shelters in Somaliland (Shelter 7). This set of sites identified in 2002 is composed of around 20 rock shelters, most featuring polychromic paintings attributed to the Holocene. Moreover, Shelter 7 yielded numerous remains that are divided into two major chono-cultural phases. Microlithic industries from the upper part of the deposit are ascribed to the Late Stone Age (LSA). In contrast, the industries from the lower part of the deposit feature an association of LSA characteristics (but quite different from the ones from the upper part of the deposit) with technical traits that belong to the MSA, and especially the presence of a Levallois technology. This association reintroduces the question of the existence of an industry (or facies) once labeled “Hargeisan” and characterized by mixed features from the MSA and the LSA in this part of Africa at the end of the Pleistocene.Our analysis of these industries culminates in a reconsideration of the definitions proposed by Clark in his seminal book, “The Prehistory of the Horn of Africa” (1954). This study provides new typo-technological data from the upper part of the Laas Geel Shelter 7 deposit that contribute to refining Clark's definition of the ‘Somaliland Wilton’ industry. In addition, the association of blade/bladelet production with typical Levallois production in the lower part of this site's deposits supports a comparison with the “Hargeisan Industry”. The industries recovered from Laas Geel Shelter 7 reintroduce debates on the existence of the “Hargeisan industry” and provide new data on the technological transition between the MSA and the LSA in the Horn of Africa.