عنوان

The Middle to Later Stone Age Technological Transition in East Africa. New Data from Mumba Rockshelter Bed V (Tanzania) and their Implications for the Origin of Modern Human Behavior

Number

LA113719

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

The Middle to Later Stone Age Technological Transition in East Africa. New Data from Mumba Rockshelter Bed V (Tanzania) and their Implications for the Origin of Modern Human Behavior

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Fernando Diez-Martín, Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Policarpo Sánchez, et al.

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Leiden

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Brill

Text of Note

Recent re-excavation of Mumba Rockshelter unearthed an unbiased lithic sample from Bed V. Technological analysis has permitted a reinterpretation of the so-called Mumba Industry, a transitional industry between Middle and Later Stone Ages originally defined by Mehlman (1989). Our data confirm Mehlman's observation that the "evolutionary" markers in Mumba Bed V are basically typological. However, our study differs from his in that we classify all of Bed V as LSA based on the combined analyses of typology and technology in our excavated assemblage. From a technological perspective, no changes have been observed throughout the sequence, and continuity is the main technological characteristic of the series. The only transitional marker from Lower through Upper Bed V is the appearance of the geometric crescent in the latter, taking into account that microliths exist throughout the sequence. This evidence casts some doubts on previous interpretations and underscores the need to recover a larger sample using modern excavation techniques. It also stresses the need to define the MSA/LSA transition in better terms, combining techno-typological criteria. Recent re-excavation of Mumba Rockshelter unearthed an unbiased lithic sample from Bed V. Technological analysis has permitted a reinterpretation of the so-called Mumba Industry, a transitional industry between Middle and Later Stone Ages originally defined by Mehlman (1989). Our data confirm Mehlman's observation that the "evolutionary" markers in Mumba Bed V are basically typological. However, our study differs from his in that we classify all of Bed V as LSA based on the combined analyses of typology and technology in our excavated assemblage. From a technological perspective, no changes have been observed throughout the sequence, and continuity is the main technological characteristic of the series. The only transitional marker from Lower through Upper Bed V is the appearance of the geometric crescent in the latter, taking into account that microliths exist throughout the sequence. This evidence casts some doubts on previous interpretations and underscores the need to recover a larger sample using modern excavation techniques. It also stresses the need to define the MSA/LSA transition in better terms, combining techno-typological criteria.

Date of Publication

2009

Physical description

147-173

Title

Journal of African Archaeology

Volume Number

7/2

International Standard Serial Number

2191-5784

Subject Term

East Africa

Subject Term

Later Stone Age

Subject Term

lithic technology

Subject Term

Middle Stone Age

Subject Term

modern human behavior

Subject Term

Mumba Rockshelter

Subject Term

Technological transition

Antonio Tarriño

Audax Z.P. Mabulla

Fernando Diez-Martín

Luis de Luque

Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo

Mary E. Prendergast

Policarpo Sánchez

Rebeca Barba

Call Number

10.3213/1612-1651-10136

Electronic name

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y