Abstract

Diepkloof is a large rock shelter overlooking the lower reaches of the Verlorenvlei in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Earlier excavations have shown that a series of Middle Stone Age (MSA) assemblages underlie a shallow Later Stone Age (LSA) occupation of the shelter. Current excavations under the direction of the authors have resolved the cultural stratigraphy and generated valuable associations between stone tool sets, faunal, plant and wood charcoal remains and a large series of intentionally marked ostrich eggshell fragments, including at least one demonstrable water flask mouth. Stone tool assemblages of characteristically Howieson's Poort forms are overlain by MSA assemblages with unifacial points and quite different raw materials and underlain by MSA assemblages that are as yet hard to classify. The intentionally marked ostrich eggshell fragments are found in the upper part of the Howieson's Poort series.

Résumé

Diepkloof est un grand abri qui domine l'estuaire du Verlorenvlei, situé dans la Province du Western Cape, en Afrique du Sud. Les premières fouilles du site ont mis en évidence une séquence comprenant une fine couche du Later Stone Age (LSA) sus-jacent plusieurs couches contenant des assemblages du Middle Stone Age (MSA). Les fouilles en cours, menées sous la direction des auteurs, ont précisé la stratigraphie du site et étudié la relation entre les industries lithiques, les restes fauniques, les fragments de bois et de charbon d'un côté et une série de fragments d'oeufs d'autruche gravés de l'autre. Ces analyses révèlent la présence d'une industrie Howieson's Poort sous-jacente à un MSA à pointes unifaciales et utilisant des matières premières différentes. La couche inférieure contient une industrie MSA encore à définir. Les fragments d'oeuf d'autruche gravés proviennent du sommet de la couche Howieson's Poort.

Introduction

Diepkloof is one of two very high overhangs, or abris, that overlook the Verlorenvlei River about 18 km upstream from its mouth in the southern corner of Elands Bay (Fig. 1). One of these has an abundance of rock paintings and a shallow (less than a metre) deposit mostly comprising Middle Stone Age materials. It is an interesting site that demands more investigation. The other overhang, on which we concentrate here, has fewer rock paintings but a much deeper set of deposits and has been the focus of several excavations since the early 1970s.