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Lithic Technology at Loiyangalani, a Late Middle Stone Age Site in the Serengeti, Tanzania

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Abstract

Loiyangalani is important to the understanding of human occupation patterns in the Serengeti and Northern Tanzania during the Middle Stone Age in terms of food-processing activities and lithic technology. The abundant faunal remains at the site show that it was used for game processing. The lithic technology was based on prepared core methods, dominated by the discoid and Levallois types, for the production of flakes. The retouched tools found at the site (scrapers, denticulates, and notches) are characteristic of activities associated with animal butchering while those connected with hunting activities are scarce. Some previous studies proposed that the Middle Stone Age occupation at Loiyangalani represents an independent industry in the region since the techno-typological differences noted between it and the neighboring sites are quite striking. We revisit this hypothesis by using three approaches—taphonomy, typology, and technology—for analyzing the MSA assemblage in Loiyangalani. We then compare the data from these three analyses with two other MSA industries in Northern Tanzania—Mumba and Nasera. Using principal component and cluster analyses to evaluate the typological and technological variation in these three industries, we show the patterns of differences and similarities among them and offer explanations for these patterns.

Résumé

Loiyangalani est important pour comprendre les modèles d’occupation humaine dans le Serengeti et le nord de la Tanzanie au Paléolithique moyen (MSA), en termes d’activités de transformation des aliments et de technologie lithique. Les restes de faune abondants découverts sur le site montrent qu’il a été utilisé pour le traitement du gibier. La technologie lithique reposait sur la production des éclats par des méthodes de base préparées, dominées par les types discoïde et Levallois. Les outils retouchés trouvés sur le site (grattoirs, denticulés et entailles) sont caractéristiques des activités associées au dépeçage d’animaux, tandis que ceux liés aux activités de chasse sont rares. Certaines des études précédentes ont suggéré que l’occupation de Loiyangalani au Paléolithique moyen représentait une industrie indépendante dans la région, car les différences techno-typologiques observées entre celle-ci et les autres sites voisins sont assez frappantes. Nous revoyons cette hypothèse dans l’article en utilisant trois approches - la taphonomie, la typologie et la technologie - pour analyser l’assemblage de MSA à Loiyangalani. Nous comparons ensuite les données de ces trois analyses avec deux autres industries MSA du nord de la Tanzanie---Mumba et Nasera. En utilisant des analyses en composantes principales et en grappes pour évaluer les variations typologiques et technologiques de ces trois industries, nous montrons les modèles de différences et de similitudes entre eux et proposons des explications pour ces modèles.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tanzania's Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) for the permission to carry out the work. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, particularly to Dr. Enmanuel Kessi and to Dr. Pastory Bushozi. We especially thank Dr. Agness Gidna for her support and assistance throughout the process of material study. The support of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE-Pal) towards this research is also acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the authors. We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and comments on the manuscript. We also thank Pía Spry-Marqués for her help in editing an earlier version of this manuscript.

Funding

This study was conducted with the funding of the project HAR2015-64407-P MINECO/FEDER UE, and one of us (J. M. M. F.) received the Salvador Madariaga grant PRX15/00542 of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, UNED, Madrid, Spain

    José-Manuel Maíllo-Fernández & Irene Solano-Megías

  2. IDEA, Institute of Evolution in Africa, Madrid, Spain

    José-Manuel Maíllo-Fernández

  3. National Museum of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Audax Z. P. Mabulla

  4. School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Mari Carmen Arriaza

  5. Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Mari Carmen Arriaza

  6. Davis, CA, USA

    John F. R. Bower

Author notes

  1. John F. R. Bower is deceased. This paper is dedicated to his memory.

    • John F. R. Bower

  2. Archaeological time period: Middle Stone Age (MSA).

    • Country and region discussed: Central Rift, Tanzania, East Africa

      Authors
      1. José-Manuel Maíllo-Fernández
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      2. Irene Solano-Megías
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      3. Audax Z. P. Mabulla
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      4. Mari Carmen Arriaza
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      5. John F. R. Bower
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      Correspondence to José-Manuel Maíllo-Fernández.

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      Archaeological time period: Middle Stone Age (MSA).

      Country and region discussed: Central Rift, Tanzania, East Africa

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      Maíllo-Fernández, JM., Solano-Megías, I., Mabulla, A.Z.P. et al. Lithic Technology at Loiyangalani, a Late Middle Stone Age Site in the Serengeti, Tanzania. Afr Archaeol Rev 36, 291–315 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-019-09340-2

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      • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-019-09340-2

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