SiteRecordings

A low density Early Stone Age / Middle Stone Age site was identified on Portion 3 of the farm Oak Hill 305 owned by Mr Lemmer. The site is located roughly 330 m north-east of the farmhouse at Site 14. The stone tools were identified against the steep slope of the ravine below Mr Lemmer’s farmstead, and especially so in close proximity to the farm’s access road which at the time of its construction had exposed gravels. No in situ lithics were observed in these exposed profiles, and the density of the surface material found in surface areas in proximity to the access road was only roughly seven lithics for every 10 m x 10 m grid. The lithics were for the most part undiagnostic and comprised flaked cobbles and some flakes. An ESA hand-axe was however identified. In appearance and general characteristics, this site seems similar to the ESA / MSA sites identified during various archaeological impact assessments in the Addo Elephant National Park during 2003 and 2007. These sites were mostly identified within the top 30 cm and in the top red gravels of the Kinkelbos Formation (Webley, 2007). The
same seems true for the site under discussion as well.