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Zooarchaeology of the Middle Stone Age in Magubike Rockshelter, Iringa Region, Tanzania

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Abstract

The analysis of the faunal remains from Middle Stone Age deposits of Magubike rockshelter was undertaken to contribute to the modern human behavior debate. Multivariate taphonomic analyses implicate hominins as the key taphonomic agent in the accumulation and modification of the faunal assemblage. Results also show they mainly foraged on large-sized animals as the key sources of meat and marrow. Small-sized animals were also exploited to maximize the foraging net return rates, but only in relatively small quantities. There is evidence that they transported and systematically processed fleshed or relatively complete carcasses. The majority of the cut-marked elements are the high-meat and marrow-bearing bones. The percentages of cut and percussion marks on long bone midshafts fall within the range of variations documented in experimental simulations that sought to replicate hominin primary (early) access to fully fleshed carcasses. There is also evidence that carnivores were scavenging bone fragments discarded by hominins.

Résumé

Les restes fauniques des dépôts de l’âge moyen de la pierre de l’abri sous roche de Magubike ont été analysés dans le cadre du concept général de manifestations du débat sur le comportement humain moderne. Les analyses taphonomiques multivariées impliquent les hominines comme l’agent taphonomique clé dans l’accumulation et la modification de l’assemblage faunique. Les résultats montrent également qu’ils se nourrissent principalement d’animaux de grande taille comme principales sources de viande et de moelle. Des animaux de petite taille ont également été exploités pour maximiser les taux de retour nets de nourriture, mais uniquement en quantités relativement faibles. Il est également prouvé qu’ils ont transporté et traité systématiquement des carcasses complètes ou relativement complètes. La majorité des éléments marqués par la coupe sont les os riches en viande et en moelle. Les pourcentages de marques de coupe et de marques de percussion sur les arbres intermédiaires des os longs se situent dans la plage de variation documentée par les simulations expérimentales qui reproduisent l’accès primaire (précoce) des hominines aux carcasses entièrement charnues.

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Acknowledgements

The Tanzanian Commission on Science and Technology (COSTECH) and the Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania authorized the excavations of Magubike rockshelter. The research was part of the first author’s (FM) Ph.D. thesis at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. We are deeply grateful to the archaeology students from the University of Dar es Salaam for their help in the excavations. We also thank the anonymous reviewers whose comments contributed to improving this paper.

Funding

Financial supports from the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Alberta awarded to FM partly made it possible to study the faunal assemblage. Financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Standard Research Grants awarded to Pamela Rae Willoughby is also acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Dar es Salaam, Box 35051, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Frank Masele

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, 13-15 HM Tory Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H4, Canada

    Pamela Rae Willoughby

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  1. Frank Masele
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  2. Pamela Rae Willoughby
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Correspondence to Frank Masele.

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Masele, F., Willoughby, P.R. Zooarchaeology of the Middle Stone Age in Magubike Rockshelter, Iringa Region, Tanzania. Afr Archaeol Rev 38, 275–295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-021-09429-7

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