Sites

The Stone Age sites, as well as the stone tools recorded in the area are similar to the one identified by Kusel in 2009. The sites are characterized by scatters of flakes, cores and more formal tools (ESA to MSA/LSA), situated in erosion dongas and quarries, as well as in calcrete formations overlai  by red (Aeolian) sand dunes. In certain areas the red sand dunes
are being eroded (wind erosion), exposing the calcretes and Stone Age artefacts. The sites vary from low density scatters with only a few artefacts, to areas with literary thousands of cores, flakes and more formal tools. The significance of the sites is seen as medium to high, and although many might not be impacted on by the development, it is envisaged that any development activity will uncover Stone Age sites and occurrences in the area. This is also true for the new rail crossing, which will be in the Gamagara riverbed. Stone Age artefacts are located in and on the river banks, and the likelihood of uncovering archaeological material is very high. It is therefore recommended that Phase II mitigation is
undertaken on some of the sites identified in the area to minimize the impact of the development. This will entail mapping of the sites, as well as controlled surface sampling of material. Kusels’ 2009 survey determined that stone artefacts occurred within pebble and gravel levels overlying the calcrete formations within the ancient river bed of the Gamagara River. Due to the density of good quality raw material in the form of pebbles significant knapping activities
took place over time.The collection represents a mix of mainly ESA and MSA cores, flakes, blades and waste from stone tool knapping and other lithic reduction processes. Flakes, blades and bladelets are the main products of any stone reduction process. The collection includes one example that seems similar to an ESA chopper, but is more likely to be a pebble core with flake removals as the Oldowan is known from only a few sites. A number of formal ESA tool types were present among the exposed lithics. Most of the formal tools are typical ESA Acheulean handaxes, or large cutting tools (LCT’s). These handaxes/bifaces are classified as formal tools, because they have been shaped or transformed into a specific shape and have been given a cutting edge through secondary retouch (i.e. by removing small flakes). Significant numbers of the MSA flakes and blades retain faceted striking platforms that indicate the use of the core preparation technique. The stone tools found by Kusel show a high frequency of prepared cores characteristic of MSA technologies. The prepared core technique was used during the MSA to produce triangular flake blanks and blade blanks. Some of the flake and blade blanks from the Assmang locality do exhibit such faceted striking platforms that typify core preparation characteristic of Levallois-type cores. It is not in all the examples possible to assign firm associations of the stone tools with specific Stone Age periods. The relative high frequency of long flake-blades may, however, be significant. These tool types may either be ascribed to the Fauresmith Industrial Complex, which is transitory between the ESA and MSA, or forms part of a fully developed MSA. Kusel’s collection is dominated by local cryptocrystalline silica rock types, which are finegrained good knapping materials. Jaspers are particularly abundant and used for the bulk of the lithics. Local rock types were generally used at most Stone Age localities with small numbers of tools occasionally made on rocks imported to the region or manufactured at other localities and then brought back. In the Northern Cape ESA assemblages, including the Fauresmith, tend to occur as lag deposits on the margins of seasonal rivers, semi-permanent water holes or pans. Such assemblages commonly represent the accumulated remains of numerous reoccupations over possibly many thousands of years. The particular locality from where the hand axes in the collection originate reflects the correlation of Acheulean sites with sources of water and an environment that could provide animal and plant foods. In this region stone tools often occur within calcrete zones underlying the modern surface of unstratified red aeolian sands.