ABSTRACT Later Stone Age (LSA) hunter-gatherers in the northeastern Lake Victoria Basin are key for understanding human-environment relationships, societal diversity and inter-group interactions in Holocene East Africa. Scholars have linked increasingly seasonal fishing and land-use strategies, the incorporation of small numbers of domesticated animals and a reliance on ‘Kansyore’-style pottery to delayed-return forager economic systems at sites in western Kenya and eastern Uganda c. 9–2000 years ago (kya). However, sparse datasets and interpretive models that divide the sequence into broad phases obscure localised LSA variability during this period. To explore finer-grained economic and environmental patterns among Kansyore tradition sites, this paper examines radiometric, archaeozoological and carbon isotopic data from two neighbouring LSA shell middens in southeastern Uganda, namely Namaboni B and Namundiri A. Radiocarbon dates provide a diachronic framework for tracking fishing, hunting and vegetation patterns between 9.3 and 5.6 kya. Fish bones indicate a transition to diversified fishing strategies at the lake after c. 7 kya. This shift corresponds with evidence for increased hunting pressure and reduced C4 grass cover along the shoreline. These findings show local differences in the ways LSA groups engaged seasonally with lakeshore animals and habitats, highlighting iterative interactions between people and landscapes that influenced regional hunter-gatherer diversity during a period of environmental stability.

Luminescence and radiocarbon dating the Naisiusiu Beds type section and timing of the Middle Stone Age/Later Stone Age transition at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.

The article studies the notion and meaning of the competition phenomenon during the process of development of human society from primitive man to the present day, which covers shock growth in the population of our planet at the Late Stone Age and further participation of people in the process of nature mastering expressed in multi-stage academic and technical progress. For the first time a hypothesis was put forward about transfer of quantitative changes in man (biological changes of the body and internal organs) to qualitative ones (cerebral brain changes) that took place during historic development. It is shown that in current realities at the stage of demographic shift in spite of local creative activities decision-making of people mainly orients to biological but not to universal human goals stipulated by rational activity.

Abstract Early and later hominins, including A. afarensis, P. aethiopicus and early Homo sapiens, occupied the Laetoli area in northern Tanzania from the Middle Pliocene through the Mid-Late Pleistocene (from 3.6 million to two hundred thousand years ago). After this period, there is a notable absence of evidence for human activity in the area. Recent investigations in the Laetoli highlands reveal material remains from the Later Stone Age (LSA) including stone tools, fauna, eggshells, ochre, and pottery. These cultural materials provide direct and reliable archaeological evidence of Late Pleistocene human occupation, demonstrating the ongoing nature of prehistoric human presence in Laetoli. Analysis of the culture-stratigraphic sequences and material associations between Laetoli and regional LSA deposits indicates human habitation during the Late Plaeistocene-African humid period into the middle Holocene.

The Tangier Peninsula, located on the northwestern African side of the Strait of Gibraltar, occupies a unique geostrategic position that has operated since the Late Stone Age as a connecting gateway between Europe and Africa, as well as the inner Atlantic and the Mediterranean. This paper explores how, from c. 3000 to 500 BC, such all-round connectivity is reified in the occurrence of a rich mosaic of burial traditions, ritual practices, symbolic sites, rock art, and unique megalithic monuments that span imposed modern continental divides. Through fieldwork, radiocarbon dating, and GIS-based analysis, this study suggests that the ritual landscapes of the Tangier Peninsula are far more complex and widespread than previously assumed, with their closest parallels in late prehistoric southern Iberia and the Sahara. By providing the first radiocarbon date for a northwest African cist, that at Daroua Zaydan, this paper also establishes an Early Bronze Age terminus post quem for this burial tradition. This new evidence challenges prevailing narratives and underscores the need to reevaluate the colonial biases that have shaped scholarly discourse in North African archaeology. By shedding light on the social, cultural, and economic dynamics of northwestern Africa, this paper highlights the region’s significant role in trans-regional networks, offering new insights into the broader dynamics of the late prehistoric western Mediterranean and inner Atlantic.

ABSTRACTPhysical trauma has significant ramifications on a person's way of life depending on social structure and access to support. Understanding trauma for past people is valuable for assessing the impact of trauma on mobility, functionality, and social integration of individuals. The Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) is a significant period in southern Africa and was dominated by hunter‐gatherers and herders. A case of antemortem femoral trauma in a precolonial hunter‐gather/herder from the Nama‐Karoo in South Africa was assessed. Using macroscopic examination, photographic documentation, and radiographic analysis, an osteobiography was constructed showing the person was male, aged 35–49 years‐at‐death. The individual has a malaligned, healed oblique fracture to the proximal third of the femoral diaphysis. The malalignment resulted in shortening and medial rotation (~90°) of the distal femur. Due to the risk of complications and impairment, this individual would have required care, particularly in the early stages of healing post injury. The degree of healing indicates a level of care provision and assistance to ensure their survival and ability to maintain a role within the community. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of life ways for southern African hunter‐gatherers and herders (sAHGH) highlighting importance of care and social support in mitigating the effects of trauma during the LSA. Further research is recommended to explore healthcare systems and expand the understanding of trauma for sAHGH.

Sediment biomarkers are important archives of regional, and global climate signatures, particularly in regions which lack continuous terrestrial archives such as the semi-arid deserts of Africa. We measured carbon and hydrogen stable isotopes from plant wax n-alkanes recovered from the Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) sedimentary sequence at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa), that comprises several technocomplexes (Kuruman/Oakhurst, Wilton, Ceramic Wilton and Historic). The plant wax n-alkane results were integrated with published palaeoenvironment reconstructions from the cave based on faunal, botanical, geological and sedimentological proxies which provides a robust comparative framework. The findings match well with other proxy records from the same strata and indicate a semi-arid to semi-humid early Holocene, with a mix of woody C3 plants and C4 grasses. In contrast, the mid-late Holocene environment was increasingly arid, open and dominated by C4 grasses. A distinct humid period at 5300–6200 cal. BP is evident, associated with a high density of archaeological material and a change in cultural expression in the Wonderwerk record. This study provides a step forward in using stable isotopes from biomarkers to create terrestrial environmental records in semi-arid regions.

Archaeological research in central Tanzania, chiefly in the Singida Region, has only been sporadically conducted, with the focus of such investigations being mostly on rock art and Later Stone Age (LSA) material. Here, we report preliminary results from renewed research expeditions conducted in the Singida Region. In 2021 and 2022, we located 31 archaeological sites in Ikungi District, excavated an open-air site (Nkungi) and a rock shelter (Itramuka), and uncovered well-stratified cultural sequences containing lithics, ceramics, and metallurgical remains, as well as human remains and animal bones. The recent archaeological discoveries in the region revealed a rich and composite archaeological heritage, encompassing scatters of archaeological artifacts, stratified deposits, and rock shelters with preserved deposits and rock art. These sites are embedded in a varied landscape that, in itself, should be preserved for their geo-heritage. Our renewed research also emphasizes the importance of local community engagement, specifically with traditional landowners, to ensure the sustainability of this multidisciplinary research project.

The work is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of directional bilateral asymmetry of long limb bones in the population of the Volga-Ural steppe on the basis of osteometric data from the Neolithic/Eneolithic, Early and Late Bronze, Early Iron Age, and the Middle Ages. The epoch of the Late Stone Age is represented by the materials from the Ust-Kama and Khvalynsk cultures. The Early Bronze Age series includes skeletons of the Yamnaya and Poltavka cultures and additionally includes materials from the Catacomb culture of the North-Western Caspian region. The materials of the Pokrovka and Srubnaya cultures made up a series of the Late Bronze Age. The Early Iron Age group is formed by the skeletons of the Early Sarmatian (Prokhorovka) culture. The medieval series is represented by the Bulgarian population who left the burial ground of Zhiguli I. Taking into account the existing developments in this field, the task was to identify asymmetric features in the samples under consideration and to identify the relationships between the direction of physical stress on the musculoskeletal system and the economic and cultural appearance of the population. The practical basis of the study is the method of comparing the variational series of measurements of the right and left sides of the skeleton by the nonparametric Wilcoxon criterion for dependent samples. Additionally, an analysis of the normality of the distribution of the measurement series was conducted, and the coefficients of excess and asymmetry of the distribution curve were calculated. As a result of the use of these statistical tools, the manifestations of directional asymmetry of the skeletal bones were demonstrated. A positive correlation was revealed between a high degree of mobility of the population and left-sided asymmetry of the lower extremities. The longitudinal dimensions of the humerus and femur in most of the studied groups are directionally asymmetric. With the demonstrated methodological approach, it is possible to identify a correlation between the degree of mobility of ancient population groups and the manifestation of mechanical stress on the elements of the postcranial skeleton. It is assumed that the degree of physical stress on the muscle groups of the lower extremities of the Khvalynsk and Yamnaya populations was different. In an earlier series, it was lower. It is assumed that there will be a gradual increase in physical activity on the female part of the population during the Bronze Age. The peak of the phenomenon is recorded in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The complex of asymmetry of the skeletons of the Bulgarian time is unique in its weak manifestation. This is probably due to the low degree of mobility of the population.

Ancient DNA from the Mediterranean has revealed long-range connections and population transformations associated with the spread of food producing economies. But in contrast to abundant data from Europe, data from this key transition in northern Africa have only been available from the far western Maghreb (Morocco). We present whole genome data for nine individuals from the Later Stone Age (LSA) through the Neolithic in Algeria and Tunisia. The earliest cluster with pre-Neolithic people of the western Maghreb (~15000–7600 BP), showing that this “Maghrebi” ancestry profile had a substantial geographic and temporal extent. At least one individual from Djebba (Tunisia), dating to ~8000 BP, harbored ancestry from European hunter-gatherers, likely reflecting early Holocene movement across the Strait of Sicily. Later Neolithic people from the eastern Maghreb retained largely local forager ancestry as well as smaller contributions from European farmers (by ~7000 BP) and Levantine groups (by ~6800 BP), and were thus far less impacted by external gene flow than other parts of the Neolithic Mediterranean.

The research concerns the Jabal al-Uʿqla site discovered by the author in Ramlat al-Sabaʿteen (Rub' al Khali) desert in 2008. The study is the first-time reveal of the outstanding part of the artifact collection. It proves that this territory was inhabited from the Middle Acheulean through the Late Stone Age. The research applies original methodology developed back in 1993 and based on patination level assessment. This methodology allows understanding the industry evolution in this particular area during the Paleolithic. The Jabal al-Uʿqla site collection differentiates 11 levels of patination. Each level implies technical and typological parameters that the research uses to form the material's relative chronology. The collection includes many choppers. Subject to comprehensive studying of the monument, it may lead to discovery of the early Acheulean industry. The article suggests the primary description of the collection, listed tools and explicit illustrations. The author emphasizes that further research of ancient sites such as Jabal al-Uʿqla should move east or north east as Jabal al-Uʿqla is hardly an intermediary site. This monument is deemed unique as it stands in between a mountainous and a desert area.

Sacred buildings (mosques and churches) built of wood are among the best examples of traditional (vernacular) architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With their architectural and spatial characteristics, construction and materialization, these buildings perfectly clearly connect the natural and social environment and man into a unique synergistic whole. Being small in size and built of material that was literally 'at hand', these buildings testify to a man who 'understands his place in nature' and expresses his respect for God. Wood is one of the natural materials with which man first began to build. From the Late Stone Age (4500-2000 BC) to the Early Iron Age (around 1000 BC), man built individual houses and entire settlements of wood, above water (houses on pylons in the water, 'sojenice'). Access bridges, pylons for founding buildings in waterbeds (rivers, lakes, seas) and buildings as a whole were built of wood. In some historical periods (the colonization of North America, for example), wood was a key building material for fast and relatively cheap construction, from individual buildings, family estates (ranches), bridges to entire cities. By designing laminated wood, wood becomes a 'modern' material with completely new performance (especially high constructive performance) that can be compared with the performance of reinforced concrete and steel. In addition, wood becomes the basic raw material for the production of effective thermal insulation and sophisticated materials (in combination with other materials) used in the materialization of the outer (and inner) final layer of building envelopes. With all that, wood remains a 'natural material' that never ends up as waste that would burden the natural environment.

Southern Africa features an intensively studied Stone Age sequence, though one with geographical and temporal gaps. The archaeology of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 remains understudied, particularly between ~ 50 and 25 ka. This period encompasses important ecological, demographic and cultural changes, most notably the transition from Middle Stone Age (MSA) to Later Stone Age (LSA) technologies. In western South Africa, previous research postulated a demographic hiatus during the second half of MIS 3, potentially due to hyperarid climatic conditions. Here, we provide evidence of occupation during this period at Mertenhof Rock Shelter (MRS) in the form of new chronometric and technological data. OSL estimates suggest two pulses of low-intensity occupations at ~ 50 ka and 41–37 ka, allowing for a diachronic assessment of technological changes. These sporadic MSA occupations complement the more widespread occurrence of open-air settlements along the Doring River during ~ 50–35 ka. At MRS, knappers procured local rock types and produced small flakes and some laminar elements via platform, bipolar and Levallois reduction. The retouched elements feature splintered pieces and denticulates but mostly lack points. Differences to contemporaneous sites in eastern southern Africa underscore ongoing technological regionalisation and demographic partitioning during MIS 3. The temporal changes in the sequence show some antecedents of Early LSA technological systems, which appear in the region around 25 ka, but not in a unidirectional manner. Lithic and chronometric evidence from MRS supports scenarios of a long MSA persistence within MIS 3 in southern Africa and a late emergence of the LSA sometime after 35 ka.

Our species and other hominins have used earth mineral pigments since at least ~500,000 years ago, if not earlier. Its preservation and ubiquity within archaeological records across sub-Saharan Africa are well documented, but regional-scale networks of mineral selection, mining, transport, and use is an underdeveloped field. Here, we present a framework for interpreting regional variations within an overarching ochre-behavioral community of practice. Deep-time records of ochre provisioning span the final Middle Stone Age and Late Stone Age in modern day Eswatini, revealing longstanding cultural continuities in the intergenerational transmission of shared knowledge on landscapes, geology, and the desired physicochemical properties of mineral pigments. These communities of practice did not develop in isolation, and were part of a wider system of relations that were influenced and mediated by social interactions, such as technological learning, seasonal traveling, material culture exchange, and symbolic expression. We use compositional analyses to determine localized ochre procurement strategies and long-distance transport across a network of fifteen archaeological sites and mineral resources. Newly refined chronologies from Lion Cavern at Ngwenya using optically stimulated luminescence dating also reaffirm its antiquity as the oldest known evidence for intensive ochre mining worldwide (~48,000 years ago).

The seismically active Singida region in central Tanzania lies at the edge of the East African Rift System (EARS) which is locally designated the Gregory Rift. The archaeological record of the region, especially in the eastern part of the Ikungi District, unlike that of northern Tanzania, is comparatively unknown, despite early archaeological expeditions hinting at its potential. Recent research in the eastern area suggests that it preserves a long record of hominin occupation spanning the Early to Late Stone Age. This interdisciplinary field work, carried out between August 2022 to August 2023, resulted in the discovery of a relatively deep package of Quaternary deposits, revealing assemblages of artifacts dating from Early Stone Age (ESA) to Middle Stone Age (MSA) periods. This testifies, for the first time, to a long term and more scattered human occupation in this part of this central region close to the famed Oldupai Gorge, since other sites were found across the Gregory scarp and the nearby Singida-Arusha highway. We also utilized magnetic surveys acquired with a Cesium vapor magnetometer coupled with magnetic susceptibility measurements using a SM-30 device in the sites, which revealed ancient fireplaces potteries, furnaces, Iron ore and other metallic materials of various ages, hence proving the success of multiple applications of rock magnetism combined with archaeological approaches in the region. We provide evidence of pedological and archaeological records of the end of the African Humid Period (AHP) in this eastern part of the region and possibly other later abrupt arid events which exhibit synchronicity with similar events recorded in sediment archives from Lake Victoria or further South (i.e., Lake Nyasa). This promising venue of investigation bears much potential and calls for further study. Finally, we question the potential drivers that could possibly explain human settlements or migration pathways in conjunction with the shift from hunting-gathering to pastoralism. Keywords: Magnetic mapping; Low-field magnetic susceptibility; Archaeological sites; Heritage resources; Natural resources

We present a series of 12 OSL/IRSL dates that revise and complete the chronology of the important Middle (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) site Umbeli Belli in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These dates shift the previous radiometric ages thousands of years older than earlier measurements and play a key role in revising the cultural stratigraphy of KwaZulu-Natal. We also discuss how these dates bring the chrono- and cultural stratigraphy of southern Africa into clearer focus. The Robberg sequence of Umbeli Belli is now firmly dated to 21 ± 2 ka, whereas the preceding Early LSA assemblage dates to ~32 ka, representing one of the earliest dates for this cultural expression in the broader region. The final MSA assemblages from Layer 7 to 9 now date to between 35 ka and 40 ka, overlapping more tightly with comparable assemblages from Sibhudu, Umhlatuzana and other sites. Layer 10, which was previously also assigned to the final MSA, now dates to ~47–54 ka, placing the assemblage within the temporal range of the Late MSA. The new dates provide a good explanation for the clear differences in material culture between Layer 10 and the younger layers. We also present two new ages for the deeper horizons 11b and 12 at Umbeli Belli, dating to 76 ± 9 ka and 80 ± 9 ka, respectively.

In this paper, the results of petrographic analysis of stone materials from the Mesolithic sites of Kosa 1–3 in the northern Kama River area (Perm Region) are discussed. The sites of Kosa 1 and 2 are located on the second terraces of the Lolog and Kosa Rivers, and Kosa 3 — on the first terrace of the Kosa River. Kosa 1 and 2 are considered chronologically similar and belong to the Late Mesolithic period. The site of Kosa 3 is younger, and it marks the transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic. For the analysis, aimed at determining the ancient raw material strategies, selected were five stone artifacts from Kosa 1, five stone artifacts from Kosa 2, and eight samples from Kosa 3. Polarised microscopy was used for the petrographic study of stones in thin sections. This method allows the precise diagnosis of minerals and rocks based on their optical characteristics. The results indi-cate that flint and jasper were applied as main raw materials at all analysed sites. The choice of material for the stone industry at the sites was limited. Sandstone and siltstone were used for production of stone macro tools. The difference in raw source materials was determined for the Kosa 1 and Kosa 2 sites on one hand, and Kosa 3 on another — the main raw sources at the Mesolithic sites were flint and jasper, while at the Kosa 3 transitional site coloured pebbly flint was used. The comparison of the results with petrographic data from other Mesolithic sites of this region demonstrates similarity in the main principles of the strategy of raw source choices such as using flint and jasper. Furthermore, a larger variety of source raw materials has been determined for the sites of the Middle Kama River basin. The comparison with the results from the Late Stone Age sites also revealed a greater variety in the materials used in comparison with the Kosinsk sites (platy flints, cherts, tuffs, gabbro, and others). All raw materials were of local origin such as alluvial deposits of the Lolog and Kosa Rivers. The results of the petrographic analysis suggest the situational choice of materials for the manufacture of tools by the local population, with the main factor being their easy accessibility.

It is known from archeological sources that the foothills of the Sultan Uwais mountain, which is the geological base of the Eastern Archipelago in the west, were inhabited by hunters of the Stone Age, the Late Stone Age, (Burli-3) Mesolithic, and the Early Neolithic. The article analyzes the political history of the Eastern Aral Bay region based on written sources and archaeological research.

The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most important dietary revolutions in human history. Yet, due to a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites, little is known about the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups. Here we present the isotopic evidence of pronounced plant reliance among Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers from North Africa (15,000–13,000 cal BP), predating the advent of agriculture by several millennia. Employing a comprehensive multi-isotopic approach, we conducted zinc (δ66Zn) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) analysis on dental enamel, bulk carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis on dentin and bone collagen, and single amino acid analysis on human and faunal remains from Taforalt (Morocco). Our results unequivocally demonstrate a substantial plant-based component in the diets of these hunter-gatherers. This distinct dietary pattern challenges the prevailing notion of high reliance on animal proteins among pre-agricultural human groups. It also raises intriguing questions surrounding the absence of agricultural development in North Africa during the early Holocene. This study underscores the importance of investigating dietary practices during the transition to agriculture and provides insights into the complexities of human subsistence strategies across different regions.

The ontological1 and epistemological2 foundations of reality, myths, beliefs, and practices in ritual behaviour have long been studied by scholars around the globe. There is no single understanding and representation of reality, as all that is real or existent within the universe is historically shaped by interdependent cultural and social processes and fear factors. Although the study of rock art is primary a branch of archaeology, cultural history also focuses on a past time and place, to study beliefs and ideas from a bottom-up approach and include the objects and experiences (sometimes unwritten) of the everyday life of the uneducated and less privileged. It is particularly well equipped to offer an understanding of the San myths, beliefs, ritual practices, and modes of representation of reality, as represented in their rock art. The Redan open-air rock engraving site is located on the Kookfontein farm, near the former Klip power station at Redan, close to a wetland that was formerly a rivulet that founded its way to the Klip River, a tributary of the Vaal River. The Klip-Vaal area is situated in the southern part of Gauteng, South Africa. Being part of the Late Stone Age hunting, domestic and ritual sites of the San people and later migrants it contains numerous documented and undocumented rock art sites. In line with interpretivism, the methodology is based on published and unpublished literature, as well as several on-site inspections of the site between 2002 and 2022. Authorship of the engravings at the Redan site is unconfirmed, although two dominant views regarding the cultural origin have emerged, namely a San hunter-gatherer shamanistic approach and the Koranna-Khoekhoen initiation site hypothesis.Contribution: The article contributes to the neglected historiography of the rock engravings in the Klip-Vaal region, in particular the Redan site, and the need to facilitate a comparison with similar rock engravings in southern Africa.