Amanzi Springs, South Africa

Andy I.R. Herries; Alexander F. Blackwood; Coen G. Wilson; Lee J. Arnold; Giovanni Boschian; Brian Armstrong; Matthew Meredith-Williams; Matthew V. Caruana

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-20290-2_80

Amanzi Springs, South Africa

Andy I.R. Herries, Alexander F. Blackwood, Coen G. Wilson, Lee J. Arnold, Giovanni Boschian, Brian Armstrong, Matthew Meredith-Williams, Matthew V. Caruana

Paleo Research Institute

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

The Amanzi Springs Archaeological site is located c. 40 km north of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It consists of eleven thermal spring eyes, two of which (Area 1 and 2) were excavated in the 1960s. These excavations identified a series of stratified Acheulian layers some of which were associated with wood. Reinvestigation of the site started in 2015 and has shown that the Acheulian occupations are dated to between 530 and 390 ka, during Marine Isotope Stages 13 and 11. Analysis of the Acheulian artifacts suggests that Amanzi Springs represents a raw material source and workshop for the production of large cutting tools. Our work has also identified the first Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeology at the new site of Area 7. Some Area 1 layers that also contain MSA material have been dated to ~190 ka. This makes the MSA the oldest identified along the southern Cape coast of South Africa.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Handbook of Pleistocene Archaeology of Africa
Subtitle of host publication	Hominin behavior, geography, and chronology
Publisher	Springer International Publishing
Pages	1241-1254
Number of pages	14
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031202902
ISBN (Print)	9783031202896
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20290-2_80
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences
General Arts and Humanities

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abstract = "The Amanzi Springs Archaeological site is located c. 40 km north of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It consists of eleven thermal spring eyes, two of which (Area 1 and 2) were excavated in the 1960s. These excavations identified a series of stratified Acheulian layers some of which were associated with wood. Reinvestigation of the site started in 2015 and has shown that the Acheulian occupations are dated to between 530 and 390 ka, during Marine Isotope Stages 13 and 11. Analysis of the Acheulian artifacts suggests that Amanzi Springs represents a raw material source and workshop for the production of large cutting tools. Our work has also identified the first Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeology at the new site of Area 7. Some Area 1 layers that also contain MSA material have been dated to ~190 ka. This makes the MSA the oldest identified along the southern Cape coast of South Africa.",

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AU - Blackwood, Alexander F.

AU - Wilson, Coen G.

AU - Arnold, Lee J.

AU - Boschian, Giovanni

AU - Armstrong, Brian

AU - Meredith-Williams, Matthew

AU - Caruana, Matthew V.

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PY - 2023/1/1

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N2 - The Amanzi Springs Archaeological site is located c. 40 km north of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It consists of eleven thermal spring eyes, two of which (Area 1 and 2) were excavated in the 1960s. These excavations identified a series of stratified Acheulian layers some of which were associated with wood. Reinvestigation of the site started in 2015 and has shown that the Acheulian occupations are dated to between 530 and 390 ka, during Marine Isotope Stages 13 and 11. Analysis of the Acheulian artifacts suggests that Amanzi Springs represents a raw material source and workshop for the production of large cutting tools. Our work has also identified the first Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeology at the new site of Area 7. Some Area 1 layers that also contain MSA material have been dated to ~190 ka. This makes the MSA the oldest identified along the southern Cape coast of South Africa.

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Amanzi Springs, South Africa

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