SiteRecordings

A bore hole and windmill are situated on a slightly elevated “mound” at waypoint 76 where a variety of Stone Age pieces were found in low densities and associated with ephemeral gravels dominated by quartzite and calcrete nodules. It is possible that some of the calcrete nodules, gravels and artefacts were excavated from sub-surface sediments during the installation of the bore hole, windmill and associated piping. Surface sediments and some sub-surface sediments would certainly have been disturbed by these activities. Nonetheless, this is one of the only elevated places in the surrounding environment and was likely used as a vantage point, hence the low density scatter of Stone Age artefacts. Artefacts in this area occur in densities of at most two to three pieces per square meter though generally only one piece every few meters. Artefacts are exclusively Stone Age stone tools that include a mix of LSA and MSA pieces with one or two heavily weathered and patinated flakes that may be of ESA origin. LSA pieces are marginally more common than those of the MSA. Specimens include mainly flakes as well as convergent flakes, but a few cores were recorded. Two retouched pieces include an end scraper and an adze or notched piece. Raw materials are dominated by quartzite with notably fewer pieces in other raw materials including chert, cryptocrystalline silica (CCS), what looks like hornfels, and two pieces in quartz.