Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Analysis of Materials From the Elandsfontein Site

Cuny Graduate School University Center, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Acheulean technology was used for well over 1 million years of hominin evolutionary history, yet the behaviors of the hominin species that produced Acheulean tools remain poorly understood. Important events in human evolution occurred during this time span, including the extinction of Homo erectus in Africa, and the appearance of more derived form(s) of Middle Pleistocene hominins (frequently termed Homo rhodesiensis or Homo heidelbergensis). Acheulean sites with artifacts and associated fossils in primary context are rare, and as a result, our undertstanding of hominin subsistence remains incomplete. It has been hypothesized that Acheulean hominins demonstrated increased predatory behavior and consumed more animal tissue than their Oldowan producing predecessors. Carnivory in Oldowan hominins has been examined extensively and a large body of taphonomic and zooarchaeological research has been established. Despite the importance of the transition from the Oldowan to the Acheulean, the vast majority of studies that investigate Acheulean hominin behavior have focused on the better represented artifact sample. Ms. Forrest's research will help expand the investigations of Acheulean hominin behavioral ecology in South Africa in a way that is comparable to similar studies in East Africa, and will give us a more complete understanding of hominin lifeways during this important time in human evolution. The Acheulean stone tool industry represents an important shift from the small core and flake dominated Oldowan industry to the manufacture of large bifacial cutting tools. Despite the significance of this transition, relatively little is known about the hominins that manufactured Acheulean tools. The vast majority of studies that investigate Acheulean hominin behavior have focused on artifact technology, as most African Acheulean sites lack well preserved faunal remains in primary association with artifacts. Knowledge of Acheulean hominin foraging behavior is especially poor in South Africa, making it difficult to create a holistic picture of Acheulean lifeways across the continent. The proposed research will reconstruct the taphonomic history and paleoenvironmental context of recently excavated ca. 800 thousand year old (Ka) Acheulean faunal remains from Elandsfontein, Western Cape, South Africa to begin addressing under-investigated aspects of Acheulean hominin behavioral ecology. Though Acheulean deposits at Elandsfontein have been studied in the past, much of that material was collected unsystematically from deflation surfaces and does not reflect a true archeological assemblage. Observations based on newly excavated samples reveal a pattern of carcass accumulation and modification that differs significantly from interpretations based on previously collected material, including higher frequencies of hominin damage to bones than noted in the past. By providing new data on an in-situ Acheulean site from South Africa, this study will address a significant geographic bias in our understanding of Acheulean hominin behavior. This study will positively impact science by supporting a female student. Through international research, the Co-PI will be able to demonstrate techniques for collecting morphological data such as 3D geometric morphometrics, which will increase global scientific knowledge. Ms. Forrest will also be collaborating with individuals from international universities and museums thus promoting further relationships between American and South African researchers. The analyses will make use of materials that are generally not suitable for other types of study, such as fragmented mandibles and long bones, thus increasing the value of museum collections. Finally, a field course sponsored by the University of Cape Town will provide an opportunity to teach these skills to South African students from ethnic groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in the sciences.