The lower Sundays River Valley (Atmar, Bernol and Penhill Farms), South Africa

The lower Sundays River Valley lies roughly 40 km north of the city of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Research in the area is still in its infancy, although some detail is now available on what characterizes the local Earlier Stone Age sequence. Three newly reported sites, namely, Atmar Farm (33.467° S, 25.528° E), Bernol Farm (33.475° S, 25.606° E), and Penhill Farm (33.596° S, 25.688° E), are considered in this chapter. Atmar Farm produced an assemblage attributable to the Acheulean, comprising a cleaver and unifacial handaxe. Bernol Farm contains in situ early Acheulean artifacts in good condition. Penhill Farm produced a well-preserved Acheulean lithic assemblage representing cores, flaking debris, flakes, and a range of shaped formal tools including varied scrapers and large cutting tools. The lower Sundays River sites provide important comparative data for the southern African Earlier Stone Age where the majority of research has been conducted at sites in the interior. They also provide important detail on technological developments in a near-coastal region that pre-date the coastal Middle Stone Age sequence.