New Excavations at Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a Stratigraphic and Taphonomic Evaluation

New excavations at Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, challenge previous assumptions about sediment movement and reveal a stable depositional history spanning the last 70,000 years. Contrary to earlier suggestions, high-resolution geoarchaeological analyses—including sedimentology, particle size distribution, cluster analysis, phytolith studies, and geochemical assessments (pH, loss on ignition, stable carbon isotopes)—demonstrate that the site’s stratigraphic integrity is intact, with no evidence of large-scale postdepositional disturbance. The study proposes a revised stratigraphic division for the Pleistocene sequence, showing that low-density archaeological horizons in the upper layers result from varying sedimentation rates rather than sediment movement. This finding provides critical insights into the Middle to Later Stone Age transition (~40,000–30,000 years BP) and contributes to understanding the emergence of modern human behavior in southern Africa.

Sifogeorgaki, I., Klinkenberg, V., Esteban, I., Murungi, M., Carr, A. S., van den Brink, V. B., & Dusseldorp, G. L. (2020). New Excavations at Umhlatuzana Rockshelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a Stratigraphic and Taphonomic Evaluation. African Archaeological Review, 37(4), 551–578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-020-09410-w