Everyday Life and Activities of a Later Stone Age Community at Beefa Cave (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia)

A detailed analysis of lithic artifacts from Beefa Cave, part of the UNESCO-listed Melka Kunture archaeological complex in Ethiopia's Upper Awash Valley, reveals insights into the daily activities and subsistence strategies of a mid-Holocene Later Stone Age community. The study combines techno-typological analysis with use-wear and residue analysis, supplemented by archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data, to reconstruct occupation patterns and economic practices. Preliminary findings establish Beefa Cave as a key site for understanding Holocene settlement dynamics in the region, offering a diachronic perspective on human-environment interactions during this period.

Mutri, G., Ruta, G., Hailu, H. B., Bamford, M. K., Briatico, G., Melis, R. T., & Mussi, M. (2026). Everyday Life and Activities of a Later Stone Age Community at Beefa Cave (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia). Journal of African Archaeology, 24(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.1163/21915784-bja10053