- Middle Stone Age (Archaeology), Spatial analysis (Archaeology), Modern human origins, Paleolithic art, rock art, Human Evolution, Evolution and Human Behavior, Upper Paleolithic, and 10 moreMiddle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Evolutionary genetics, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Digital Photogrammetry applied to Archaeology, Archaeological Soil Micromorphology, Geoarchaeology, Archaeological Site Formation Processes, Archaeological GIS, and Scandinavian Archaeologyedit
In this paper we conduct geochemical and colourimetric measurements of glauconite grains in micromorphological thin sections from the Middle Stone Age site of Blombos Cave, South Africa, to investigate the formation, internal structure... more
In this paper we conduct geochemical and colourimetric measurements of glauconite grains in micromorphological thin sections from the Middle Stone Age site of Blombos Cave, South Africa, to investigate the formation, internal structure and reworking of heat-exposed cave deposits that are related to prehistoric burning events. Controlled heating experiments were first carried out on glauconite-rich loose sediments and block samples, both of which were collected from the Blombos Cave bedrock. The control samples were then subjected to Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), microscopic Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (micro-FTIR) and petrographic-colourimetric analyses. The control experiment shows that glauconitic minerals undergo a gradual and systematic colour change when temperatures reach higher than c. 300–400 °C, primarily due to dehydration and iron oxidation. They also undergo clear structural changes when temperatures reach higher than c. 550 °C due to dehydroxylation and mineral transformation. By assessing the nature and degree of heat-induced optical and molecular alteration in glauconitic minerals, we demonstrate how glauconite grains in thin sections can be classified by the temperature to which they were exposed (20–400 °C, >400 °C, >600 °C and >800 °C). To assess the archaeological relevance of our controlled heating experiment, we applied this glauconite classification scheme to >200 grains found in three micromorphological thin sections of a Middle Stone Age (MSA) combustion feature. These grains were individually geo-referenced within the local coordinate system of Blombos Cave, through a thin-section-based GIS mapping procedure. With improved spatial control, we were able to study both the general distribution of non-altered and heat-altered glauconite grains in their original sedimentary context, as well as to calculate heat distribution models that cover the entire sampled section. This combined geo-chemical, optical and spatio-contextual approach provides insights into more elusive aspects of MSA site structure and burning events, such as heat intensity, burning frequency, temperature distribution, internal hearth structure and post-depositional reworking. The workflow we propose may easily be implemented and adapted to other archaeological contexts and to analogous sedimentary materials that show comparable heat-induced alteration patterns.
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Surveys for archaeological sites in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, southern Cape, South Africa resulted in the discovery of a cave complex comprising two locations, Klipdrift Cave and Klipdrift Shelter. Excavations commenced in 2010 with... more
Surveys for archaeological sites in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, southern Cape, South Africa resulted in the discovery of a cave complex comprising two locations, Klipdrift Cave and Klipdrift Shelter. Excavations commenced in 2010 with Later Stone Age deposits initially being recovered at the former site and Middle Stone Age deposits at the latter. The lithic component at Klipdrift Shelter is consistent with the Howiesons Poort, a technological complex recorded at a number of archaeological sites in southern
Africa. The age for these deposits at Klipdrift Shelter, obtained by single grain optically stimulated luminescence, spans the period 65.5 4.8 ka to 59.4 4.6 ka. Controlled and accurate excavations of the discrete layers have resulted in the recovery of a hominin molar, marine shells, terrestrial fauna, floral remains, organic materials, hearths, lithics, ochre, and ostrich eggshell. More than 95 pieces of the latter, distributed across the layers, are engraved with diverse, abstract patterns. The preliminary results from
Klipdrift Shelter presented in this report provide new insights into the Howiesons Poort in this subregion and contribute further to ongoing knowledge about the complex behaviours of early Homo sapiens in southern Africa. Excavations at the Klipdrift Complex will continue in the future.
Africa. The age for these deposits at Klipdrift Shelter, obtained by single grain optically stimulated luminescence, spans the period 65.5 4.8 ka to 59.4 4.6 ka. Controlled and accurate excavations of the discrete layers have resulted in the recovery of a hominin molar, marine shells, terrestrial fauna, floral remains, organic materials, hearths, lithics, ochre, and ostrich eggshell. More than 95 pieces of the latter, distributed across the layers, are engraved with diverse, abstract patterns. The preliminary results from
Klipdrift Shelter presented in this report provide new insights into the Howiesons Poort in this subregion and contribute further to ongoing knowledge about the complex behaviours of early Homo sapiens in southern Africa. Excavations at the Klipdrift Complex will continue in the future.
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Southern Africa has provided much information concerning the cultural, technological and cognitive evolution of Homo sapiens. As indications of cognitive complexity that become prevalent during the Middle Stone Age, abstract and... more
Southern Africa has provided much information concerning the
cultural, technological and cognitive evolution of Homo sapiens. As
indications of cognitive complexity that become prevalent during the
Middle Stone Age, abstract and figurative art present explicit evidence
for modern and symbolic human behavioural capacity. The only
examples of African figurative art securely dated to the Late Pleistocene
comprise seven stone plaques from Apollo 11 Cave in the Huns
Mountains,Karas region, Namibia. These were recovered byWendt in
1969 and 1972 from levels dated to c. 30 000 years ago. Given the
cultural and evolutionary significance of these artefacts, the objective
of this report is to make available high resolution actual-size colour and
digitally enhanced photographs of these unique examples of early art
mobilier. Chemical analysis of the plaques and the pigments that
compose the imagery is ongoing and will be presented in a forthcoming
publication.
cultural, technological and cognitive evolution of Homo sapiens. As
indications of cognitive complexity that become prevalent during the
Middle Stone Age, abstract and figurative art present explicit evidence
for modern and symbolic human behavioural capacity. The only
examples of African figurative art securely dated to the Late Pleistocene
comprise seven stone plaques from Apollo 11 Cave in the Huns
Mountains,Karas region, Namibia. These were recovered byWendt in
1969 and 1972 from levels dated to c. 30 000 years ago. Given the
cultural and evolutionary significance of these artefacts, the objective
of this report is to make available high resolution actual-size colour and
digitally enhanced photographs of these unique examples of early art
mobilier. Chemical analysis of the plaques and the pigments that
compose the imagery is ongoing and will be presented in a forthcoming
publication.
Research Interests:
The scope of modern archaeological inquiry is broad, yet there has been – and still exist – a long standing notion that archaeology is primarily the study past human activity through the conventional recovery and analysis of recognizable... more
The scope of modern archaeological inquiry is broad, yet there has been – and still exist – a long standing notion that archaeology is primarily the study past human activity through the conventional recovery and analysis of recognizable material culture; often confined to the morphometric, functional or symbolic properties of objects and structures. At the same time, there has the last decades been an increased emphasis on documenting the temporal and spatial relationships between recovered artefacts in the field through single-context excavations and documentation of stratigraphy; and thereby enriching these finds with contextual information through the construction of cultural sequences and relative chronologies.
Yet, the sedimentary sequence itself and the actual material which constitute it – e.g. gravel, clay, sand, organic matter etc. – is by many field archaeologists considered an undefinable matrix in which artifacts and features happens to be distributed. If these sedimentary elements and features are considered important, they are often defined as material not belonging to the realm of archaeology, and more readily placed within the domain of natural science.
At the same time, numerous geo-archaeological and micromorphological studies of archaeological contexts clearly demonstrate how the identification of sedimentary constituents and micro-stratigraphic relationships can provide not only additional and higher detailed information about past human activities and paleoenvironments – but also how these methods constitute powerful methods for testing archaeological field interpretations.
In this paper I discuss why sediments in archaeological sites can be just as – or sometimes even more – informative as conventional archaeological artifacts. I will present some examples of how sediments in archaeological contexts have been studied, focusing on the role and application of soil micromorphology and thin section analysis in the investigation of site formation processes, depositional and post-depositional agents (geogenic, biogenic, anthropogenic, diagensis), sedimentary environments and source identification. Being both a quantitative and qualitative method, sharing a range of methodological procedures from natural science, social science and humanities, the ultimate success of a micromorphological approach relies on continuous interaction between field archaeologists, geo-scientists, botanists and other specialists.
Yet, the sedimentary sequence itself and the actual material which constitute it – e.g. gravel, clay, sand, organic matter etc. – is by many field archaeologists considered an undefinable matrix in which artifacts and features happens to be distributed. If these sedimentary elements and features are considered important, they are often defined as material not belonging to the realm of archaeology, and more readily placed within the domain of natural science.
At the same time, numerous geo-archaeological and micromorphological studies of archaeological contexts clearly demonstrate how the identification of sedimentary constituents and micro-stratigraphic relationships can provide not only additional and higher detailed information about past human activities and paleoenvironments – but also how these methods constitute powerful methods for testing archaeological field interpretations.
In this paper I discuss why sediments in archaeological sites can be just as – or sometimes even more – informative as conventional archaeological artifacts. I will present some examples of how sediments in archaeological contexts have been studied, focusing on the role and application of soil micromorphology and thin section analysis in the investigation of site formation processes, depositional and post-depositional agents (geogenic, biogenic, anthropogenic, diagensis), sedimentary environments and source identification. Being both a quantitative and qualitative method, sharing a range of methodological procedures from natural science, social science and humanities, the ultimate success of a micromorphological approach relies on continuous interaction between field archaeologists, geo-scientists, botanists and other specialists.
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Visualization of the effects of heat in thin sections of archaeological sediments adds a new interpretational layer of fire-related events in archaeological deposits. Tracing the intensity of heat in a two-dimensional space allows to... more
Visualization of the effects of heat in thin sections of archaeological sediments adds a new interpretational layer of fire-related events in archaeological deposits. Tracing the intensity of heat in a two-dimensional space allows to evaluate the effects that physical reworking or chemical alteration have on microarchaeological fire proxies. By applying a newly developed method based on spatially referenced spectral data, we were able to visualize the distribution of heat over an entire thin-section.
Heat alters the molecular structure of minerals, which can be quantified by differences in the Infrared Absorbance. The classification of these differences is based on samples produced during controlled experiments. In situ measurements with a Fourier-transformed infrared microspectrometer (micro-FTIR) together with a high resolution scan of the thin-section provides a spatial reference system. A geographical information system (GIS) fully integrates all data into a single analytical framework, where it results in a visualization of the spatial heat-intensity distribution. Case studies on the bones of the ancient Greek ash-altar at Mt. Lykaion, Greece and the mineral glauconite in the deposits of the Middle Stone Age site of Blombos Cave, South Africa, will show the application of this method and its potential for improved interpretation of heat-related sediments.
Heat alters the molecular structure of minerals, which can be quantified by differences in the Infrared Absorbance. The classification of these differences is based on samples produced during controlled experiments. In situ measurements with a Fourier-transformed infrared microspectrometer (micro-FTIR) together with a high resolution scan of the thin-section provides a spatial reference system. A geographical information system (GIS) fully integrates all data into a single analytical framework, where it results in a visualization of the spatial heat-intensity distribution. Case studies on the bones of the ancient Greek ash-altar at Mt. Lykaion, Greece and the mineral glauconite in the deposits of the Middle Stone Age site of Blombos Cave, South Africa, will show the application of this method and its potential for improved interpretation of heat-related sediments.
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The only example of figurative art securely dated to the African Late Pleistocene comprises seven stone plaques from Apollo II Cave in southern Namibia. These were recovered by Wolfgang E. Wendt in 1969 and 1972 from levels dated by... more
The only example of figurative art securely dated to the African Late Pleistocene comprises seven stone plaques from Apollo II Cave in southern Namibia.
These were recovered by Wolfgang E. Wendt in 1969 and 1972 from levels dated by 14C and OSL methods to c. 30 000 years ago.
Here we report on a suite of complementary, highly portable and flexible techniques for the accurate and rapid documentation of the plaques from Apollo 11 Cave: high resolution digital photography, image-based 3D modelling and digital image enhancements.
These were recovered by Wolfgang E. Wendt in 1969 and 1972 from levels dated by 14C and OSL methods to c. 30 000 years ago.
Here we report on a suite of complementary, highly portable and flexible techniques for the accurate and rapid documentation of the plaques from Apollo 11 Cave: high resolution digital photography, image-based 3D modelling and digital image enhancements.
Research Interests:
Today scientific archaeological investigations require high resolution documentation techniques that preserve and increase the value of the surveyed and excavated heritage. 2D mapping and basic photographic recording has traditionally... more
Today scientific archaeological investigations require high resolution documentation techniques that preserve and increase the value of the surveyed and excavated heritage. 2D mapping and basic photographic recording has traditionally been - and still is - the most common way of turning real life observations into an archaeological record. Now innovative computer technology offers more advanced documentation solutions that allows for quick 3D recording of archaeological contexts with unprecedented resolution and quality.
Image-based 3D modeling software allows you to measure, document and model real world objects, scenes or artifacts, through the use of photographs taken by any digital camera. It's a modeling technique based on the science of photogrammetry; a method which has been developed to extract geometric properties and 3D spatial measurements from photographic images.
Here we report on implementation of this documentation technique to a prehistoric cave context: Blombos Cave, South Africa. During the 2013 field season the interior and exterior of Blombos Cave was systematically recorded with a digital SLR camera. These photos were later used to generate highly accurate geo-referenced 3D models of the cave topography and its surrounding terrain. During excavation individual structures and contexts were also documented in situ. The data sets produced can be exported to GIS or KAD software for further manipulation and may easily be integrated with other types of spatially referenced excavation data.
Our preliminary results show that the recent developments in image based 3D modeling offers accurate, straightforward and affordable alternatives to conventional, more complex and expensive 3D modeling techniques (e.g. laser scanner). It's a method that ultimately may change the scope of current field documentation procedures, by
offering a combination of accurate metric observations with intuitively comprehensible 3D visualization.
Image-based 3D modeling software allows you to measure, document and model real world objects, scenes or artifacts, through the use of photographs taken by any digital camera. It's a modeling technique based on the science of photogrammetry; a method which has been developed to extract geometric properties and 3D spatial measurements from photographic images.
Here we report on implementation of this documentation technique to a prehistoric cave context: Blombos Cave, South Africa. During the 2013 field season the interior and exterior of Blombos Cave was systematically recorded with a digital SLR camera. These photos were later used to generate highly accurate geo-referenced 3D models of the cave topography and its surrounding terrain. During excavation individual structures and contexts were also documented in situ. The data sets produced can be exported to GIS or KAD software for further manipulation and may easily be integrated with other types of spatially referenced excavation data.
Our preliminary results show that the recent developments in image based 3D modeling offers accurate, straightforward and affordable alternatives to conventional, more complex and expensive 3D modeling techniques (e.g. laser scanner). It's a method that ultimately may change the scope of current field documentation procedures, by
offering a combination of accurate metric observations with intuitively comprehensible 3D visualization.
Little is known about the ways humans organised themselves and their living spaces within caves and shelters during the southern African Middle Stone Age (MSA); a situation owing mainly to the fact that many MSA contexts lack the... more
Little is known about the ways humans organised themselves and their living spaces within caves and shelters during the southern African Middle Stone Age (MSA); a situation owing mainly to the fact that many MSA contexts lack the necessary stratigraphic and spatial integrity to carry out quantitative spatial analyses with reference to past human behaviour. Blombos Cave, South Africa represent one MSA context where the archaeological deposits and remains have been stratigraphically defined and spatially referenced in high-resolution, allowing an examination of intra-site spatial site structure to be conducted.
My main objectives in this thesis have been to: (a) evaluate the potential of inferring prehistoric human spatial behaviour from the distribution of archaeological remains recovered from the 77-70 ka old Still Bay units in Blombos Cave; and (b) to conduct a preliminary intra-site spatial analysis of these units within a spatio-contextual digital framework. To facilitate the archaeological interpretation of the results of my analysis, emphasis has been laid on spatial and contextual data acquisition and data management, social theories of human space and on discussions of contextual limitations posed by the methodology employed and by the material analysed.
My preliminary intra-site spatial analysis suggests that the spatial distribution of cultural remains in the Still Bay phase appears to primarily – though not exclusively – result from the spatial behaviour of the cave’s inhabitants. These behaviours seem to have been structured and defined by hearth-based domestic activities. The Still Bay spatial site patterning can hardly be distinguished from the patterning observed in LSA and ethnographic contexts. From ethnographic accounts we know that the physical arrangement of living space amongst contemporary southern African hunter-gatherer groups revolves around their most important domestic focal point: the hearths. The domestic space surrounding these hearths consists of various spatial arrangements and divisions which conform to the cultural traditions and social conventions of its users. If the hearths and domestic space in Blombos Cave were used in a similar manner, it is possible that humans at 70 ka had socially conditioned ideas and believes about domestic spatial order, and that they maintained a conceptual spatial template in their minds of how to organise their living quarters according to the social standards set by the group. More in-depth spatial analyses of behavioural meaningful remains, combined with further testing of the stratigraphic integrity, are needed to reinforce these findings.
The digital spatio-contextual approach, adopted in this thesis, shows promising potential for inferring new and more detailed information about the spatial and behavioural repertoire of the humans occupying Blombos Cave during the MSA.
My main objectives in this thesis have been to: (a) evaluate the potential of inferring prehistoric human spatial behaviour from the distribution of archaeological remains recovered from the 77-70 ka old Still Bay units in Blombos Cave; and (b) to conduct a preliminary intra-site spatial analysis of these units within a spatio-contextual digital framework. To facilitate the archaeological interpretation of the results of my analysis, emphasis has been laid on spatial and contextual data acquisition and data management, social theories of human space and on discussions of contextual limitations posed by the methodology employed and by the material analysed.
My preliminary intra-site spatial analysis suggests that the spatial distribution of cultural remains in the Still Bay phase appears to primarily – though not exclusively – result from the spatial behaviour of the cave’s inhabitants. These behaviours seem to have been structured and defined by hearth-based domestic activities. The Still Bay spatial site patterning can hardly be distinguished from the patterning observed in LSA and ethnographic contexts. From ethnographic accounts we know that the physical arrangement of living space amongst contemporary southern African hunter-gatherer groups revolves around their most important domestic focal point: the hearths. The domestic space surrounding these hearths consists of various spatial arrangements and divisions which conform to the cultural traditions and social conventions of its users. If the hearths and domestic space in Blombos Cave were used in a similar manner, it is possible that humans at 70 ka had socially conditioned ideas and believes about domestic spatial order, and that they maintained a conceptual spatial template in their minds of how to organise their living quarters according to the social standards set by the group. More in-depth spatial analyses of behavioural meaningful remains, combined with further testing of the stratigraphic integrity, are needed to reinforce these findings.
The digital spatio-contextual approach, adopted in this thesis, shows promising potential for inferring new and more detailed information about the spatial and behavioural repertoire of the humans occupying Blombos Cave during the MSA.
Feltkurs for masterstudenter i arkeologi ved AHKR, Universitetet i Bergen. Undersøkelsene på Bjorvollen i 2014 var en fortsettelse av flateavdekking og rutegraving av to separate felter, felt A og B, til sammen 23 m2, fra 2013... more
Feltkurs for masterstudenter i arkeologi ved AHKR, Universitetet i Bergen. Undersøkelsene på Bjorvollen i 2014 var en fortsettelse av flateavdekking og rutegraving av to separate felter, felt A og B, til sammen 23 m2, fra 2013 undersøkelsen. Disse feltene ble i 2015 ble utvidet med totalt 14,75 m2. Det ble avdekket og datert aktivitetslag/dyrkningslag og en mur fra bronsealder, samt kulturlag, en kokegrop og en rekke stolpehull fra jernalderen (radiokarbondatering). Det ble gjort funn av redeponerte steinartefakter fra eldre og yngre steinalder i begge felt.
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Rapport fra feltkurs for masterstudenter i arkeologi ved AHKR, Universitetet i Bergen. Undersøkelsene på Bjorvollen bestod i 2013 av flateavdekking og rutegraving av to separate felter (felt A og B) på totalt 23m2. Det ble avdekket og... more
Rapport fra feltkurs for masterstudenter i arkeologi ved AHKR, Universitetet i Bergen. Undersøkelsene på Bjorvollen bestod i 2013 av flateavdekking og rutegraving av to separate felter (felt A og B) på totalt 23m2. Det ble avdekket og avgrenset aktivitetslag/dyrkningslag fra bronsealder samt kulturlag fra jernalderen. Det ble funnet strukturer i begge felt som sannsynligvis skriver seg fra eldre jernalder og det ble gjort funn av redeponerte steinartefakter i alle lag.
Research Interests: Archaeology and Arkeologi
An archaeological travelogue from South Africa: AHKR PhD student Magnus Haaland recently recorded an archaeological excavation season in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa. This short documentary film records his... more
An archaeological travelogue from South Africa: AHKR PhD student Magnus Haaland recently recorded an archaeological excavation season in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa. This short documentary film records his experience.
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Short documentary on UiB excavations in South Africa.
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Magnus Haaland er stipendiat i arkeologi ved Institutt for arkeologi, historie, kultur- og religionsvitenskap, Universitet i Bergen. Han er med i det store EU-prosjektet TRACSYMBOLS som gjør arkeologiske utgravninger i Blombos-hulen og... more
Magnus Haaland er stipendiat i arkeologi ved Institutt for arkeologi, historie, kultur- og religionsvitenskap, Universitet i Bergen. Han er med i det store EU-prosjektet TRACSYMBOLS som gjør arkeologiske utgravninger i Blombos-hulen og ved Klipdrift. Her prøver de å danne et bilde av hvordan folk levde for over 70 000 år siden. I denne episoden forklarer Magnus hvordan man kan forske på adferd ut fra små sandkorn, hvilke utfordringer arkeologer kan møte i feltet og verdien av tverrfaglig forskning.
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Dei fleste kjenner historia bak månelandinga i 1969. Dei færraste har høyrd om den særs viktige arkeologiske oppdaginga med same namn.
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Artikkel i BT om kva arkeologar eigentleg held på med.