A sedimentary record of environmental change at Tsodilo Hills White Paintings Rock Shelter, Northwest Kalahari Desert, Botswana

New optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating clarifies the chronology of White Paintings Rock Shelter in Tsodilo Hills, Botswana, resolving long-standing ambiguities in the site's archaeological and sedimentary record. The study reveals distinct environmental shifts over the past 100–120 thousand years, providing critical insights into palaeoenvironmental conditions in the Kalahari Desert. By analyzing physical and chemical properties of sediments alongside refined dating, researchers reconstruct site formation processes and trace temporal changes in local climate and human activity. This work enhances understanding of early freshwater fishing, ornament production, and other cultural practices in Southern Africa.

(Ed.). (2010). A sedimentary record of environmental change at Tsodilo Hills White Paintings Rock Shelter, Northwest Kalahari Desert, Botswana. African Palaeoenvironments and Geomorphic Landscape Evolution, 79–104. https://doi.org/10.1201/b10542-9