title: Coalescence and fragmentation in the late Pleistocene archaeology of southernmost Africa.
abstract: The later Pleistocene archaeological record of southernmost Africa encompasses several Middle Stone Age industries and the transition to the Later Stone Age. Through this period various signs of complex human behaviour appear episodically, including elaborate lithic technologies, osseous technologies, ornaments, motifs and abstract designs. Here we explore the regional archaeological record using different components of lithic technological systems to track the transmission of cultural information and the extent of population interaction within and between different climatic regions. The data suggest a complex set of coalescent and fragmented relationships between populations in different climate regions through the late Pleistocene, with maximum interaction (coalescence) during MIS 4 and MIS 2, and fragmentation during MIS 5 and MIS 3. Coalescent phases correlate with increases in the frequency of ornaments and other forms of symbolic expression, leading us to suggest that population interaction was a significant driver in their appearance.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia. Electronic address: mackay.ac@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.affiliation: Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, University of Michigan, Ruthven Museums Building, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR 5554, Université Montpellier 2, Bat. 22, CC061, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France; Department of Archaeology, History, Culture and Religion, University of Bergen, Postbox 7805, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Chase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001106:Archaeology; D003710:Demography; D005580:Fossils; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D012919:Social Behavior; D013019:South Africa; D013672:Technology / Q000266:history*
keywords: Cultural transmission; Howiesons Poort; Lithic technology; Middle and Later Stone Age; Ornaments; Still Bay