Dynamics of subsistence and technology before and during the Still Bay at Sibudu, South Africa

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The Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa plays a crucial role in the study of the early behavioral evolution of our species. This research project aims at characterizing the lithic technology and subsistence strategies of early modern humans before and during the Still Bay at Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Although much research in the southern African MSA has concentrated on the Still Bay (SB) and its potential role in the behavioral evolution of Homo sapiens as a period of cultural fluorescence, the definition, variability and temporal duration of this technocomplex is still open to debate. This project examines the SB and pre-SB deposits from Sibudu Cave. The site preserves a high-resolution, well-dated SB sequence but also deeper and so-far unstudied strata, with both deposits being rich in stone artifacts and faunal remains. The lithic and faunal analyzes of these layers will employ multiple methods to identify the features and temporal variability of this part of the cultural stratigraphic sequence. The project addresses questions about the nature and duration of bifacial technologies at Sibudu, whether or not these phases are associated with particular hunting strategies, and how these behavioral features compare to other sites within and beyond southern Africa. Finally, we aim critically to evaluate the status of the SB as a technocomplex and the role of bifacial technology with regard to the cultural evolution of early modern humans within Africa.