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Tracking Occupational Intensity Using Archaeo-faunal Data: Case Studies from the Late Pleistocene in the Southern Cape of South Africa

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Abstract

Occupational intensity is a common theme in current research and has been linked to significant demographic trends in the past. The Late Pleistocene in the southern Cape may be especially important in understanding the impacts of socio-demographic change given its association with developments in ‘modern’ human behaviour. The ubiquity of archaeo-faunal remains at Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites makes these convenient datasets for documenting site-specific occupational patterns. In this paper, zooarchaeological and taphonomic data are evaluated as proxies for occupational intensity, and occupational trends are explored in the southern Cape. Zooarchaeological and taphonomic data from three southern Cape MSA sites—Klipdrift Shelter, Blombos Cave and Pinnacle Point—are compared with previously determined higher and lower occupational levels within each site to assess the value of these proxies in tracking temporal changes in settlement intensity. The results show that, while frequencies of small mammals and larger ungulates often covary with occupational levels, these are problematic indicators because of the impact of carnivores. Similarly, faunal diversity generally corresponds well with increasing human occupations but is a problematic proxy because of the effects of animal activity. Anthropogenic bone surface modifications appear to be effective in tracking occupational patterns, with trampling a particularly useful indicator. Faunal and shellfish density, and transverse bone fracture patterns, are valuable proxies of occupational intensity at all sites. Generally, the data suggests close links between occupational intensity at these sites and marine transgressions. Evidence of increased exploitation of small game in the later MSA may imply periods of subsistence intensification possibly linked to increased demographic pressure during Marine Isotope Stage 4.

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Acknowledgements

I thank two anonymous authors for thought-provoking and insightful comments. Their suggestions contributed immensely to the manuscript. I also thank Magnus Haaland for his helpful advice. Regular grants from the Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE-Pal) and the Palaeotological Scientific Trust (PAST) are acknowledged.

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The author was funded by a South African Department of Science and Technology (DST)-National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka grant (grant no. 129689) and an Enabling Grant through the Diversifying of the Academy from the University of the Witwatersrand. Any opinion, finding, conclusion or recommendation expressed in this article is that of the author, and the NRF does not accept any liability in this regard.

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    Jerome P. Reynard

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Reynard, J.P. Tracking Occupational Intensity Using Archaeo-faunal Data: Case Studies from the Late Pleistocene in the Southern Cape of South Africa. J Archaeol Method Theory 29, 214–250 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-021-09513-x

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