New ages from Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, provide increased resolution on late/terminal Pleistocene human behavioural variability

A revised radiocarbon chronology for Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, reveals distinct patterns of human occupation during the late and terminal Pleistocene. The site experienced low-intensity occupations during the early Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) but saw intensive use in the terminal Pleistocene, coinciding with significant palaeoenvironmental and sea-level changes. Lithic analysis indicates adaptive technological strategies reflecting shifting mobility and site occupation patterns. This study challenges assumptions about hunter-gatherer behavior by highlighting variability that differs from twentieth-century Kalahari practices.

Pargeter, J., Loftus, E., Mackay, A., Mitchell, P., & Stewart, B. (2018). New ages from Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, provide increased resolution on late/terminal Pleistocene human behavioural variability. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 53(2), 156–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/0067270x.2018.1436740