Diepkloof Rock Shelter
Encyclopedia
Diepkloof Rock Shelter is a rock cave in Western Cape
, South Africa
in which has been found some of the earliest evidence of the human use of symbol
s, in the form of patterns engraved upon ostrich
eggshell water containers. These date around 60,000 years ago.
The symbolic patterns consist of lines crossed at right angles or oblique angles by hatching. It has been suggested that "by the repetition of this motif, early humans were trying to communicate something. Perhaps they were trying to express the identity of the individual or the group."
about 150 km north of Cape Town
. It occurs in quartzitic sandstone
in a butte
that overlooks in a east direction 100 m above the Verlorenvlei River. It contains one of "most complete and continuous later Middle Stone Age
sequences in southern Africa" stretching from before 130,000 BP to about 45,000 BP and encompassing pre-Stillbay, Stillbay
, Howiesons Poort
, and post-Howiesons Poort periods. It is about 25 m wide and 15 m deep. Research is based upon finds discovered in a trench excavated within it that is 16 m across and 3.6 m in depth. The deposits consist of burnt and nonburnt organic residues and ash that came from hearths, ash dumps and burnt bedding.
It was first excavated in 1973 by John Parkington and Cedric Poggenpoel. Since 1999 it has been researched in a collaboration between the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town
and the Institute of Prehistory and Quaternary Geology at the University of Bordeaux
.
The engraving consists of abstract linear repetitive patterns, including a hatched band motif. One fragment has two parallel lines that might have been circular around the container.
It has been suggested that they form "a system of symbolic representation in which collective identities and individual expressions are clearly communicated, suggesting social, cultural, and cognitive underpinnings that overlap with those of modern people." Moreover, they show "the development of a graphic tradition and the complex use of symbols to mediate social interactions. The large number of marked pieces shows that there were rules for composing designs but room within the rules to allow for individual and/or group preferences."
Earlier finds exist of symbolism, such as the 75,000-year-old engraved ochre chunks found in the Blombos cave
, but these are isolated and difficult to tell apart from meaningless doodles.
The engravings are found on ostrich eggshells that were used as water containers. Ostrich eggshells have an average volume of 1 liter. They may have had drinking spouts, holes to enable them to be strung as a canteen
for easier carrying, and seem to have been part of "daily hunter-gatherer
life". They involved skill to make, with one of the researchers involved noting "Ostrich egg shells are quite hard. Doing such engravings is not so easy."
vegetation now usually found in gorges, such as Diospyros
, Cassine peragua
, Maytenus
, Rhus, and Hartogiella schinoides. Afromontane
trees found in the area, include Ficus
, Kiggelaria africana
, Podocarpus elongatus
, and Celtis africana
. This suggests a more diversely wooded riverine environment than now present in the area.
s, tortoise
s and intertidal marine shells. Most bones found in the cave come from rock hyrax, hare
s, cape dune mole rats, steenbok
and grysbok
. Animals from rocky environments are also found including klipspringer
, and vaalribbok. There is also evidence of local grasslands. with remains of zebra
s, wildebeest
and hartebeest
. Hippopotamus
and southern reedbuck
came from the local river. The sea coast seems to have moved up the river, as there are fragments from black mussel
s, granite limpet
s, and Cape fur seal
s. Though there are ostrich-shell remains, no ostrich bones have been found.
Tortoise bones are mostly those of the angulate tortoise
that is still found in the area. These are noted to have been "remarkably large compared with their Late Stone Age counterparts, suggesting different intensities of predation between MSA and Late Stone Age populations".
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in which has been found some of the earliest evidence of the human use of symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s, in the form of patterns engraved upon ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
eggshell water containers. These date around 60,000 years ago.
The symbolic patterns consist of lines crossed at right angles or oblique angles by hatching. It has been suggested that "by the repetition of this motif, early humans were trying to communicate something. Perhaps they were trying to express the identity of the individual or the group."
Site description
The cave is about 17 km from the shoreline of the Atlantic in a semi-arid area, near Elands BayElands Bay
Elands Bay is a town in South Africa, situated in the Western Cape Province, on the Atlantic Ocean, at . The town is located about 220 kilometres north from Cape Town...
about 150 km north of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. It occurs in quartzitic sandstone
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
in a butte
Butte
A butte is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; it is smaller than mesas, plateaus, and table landform tables. In some regions, such as the north central and northwestern United States, the word is used for any hill...
that overlooks in a east direction 100 m above the Verlorenvlei River. It contains one of "most complete and continuous later Middle Stone Age
Middle Stone Age
The Middle Stone Age was a period of African Prehistory between Early Stone Age and Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50-25,000 years ago. The beginnings of particular MSA stone tools have their origins as far back as 550-500,000...
sequences in southern Africa" stretching from before 130,000 BP to about 45,000 BP and encompassing pre-Stillbay, Stillbay
Stillbay
The Stillbay industry is the name given by the archaeologists Goodwin and van Riet Lowe in 1929 to a mid-Palaeolithic stone tool manufacturing style after the site of Stilbaai in South Africa where it was first described. It may have developed from the earlier Acheulian types...
, Howiesons Poort
Howiesons Poort
Howiesons Poort is a lithic technology cultural period in the Middle Stone Age in Africa named after the Howieson’s Poort Shelter archeological site near Grahamstown in South Africa...
, and post-Howiesons Poort periods. It is about 25 m wide and 15 m deep. Research is based upon finds discovered in a trench excavated within it that is 16 m across and 3.6 m in depth. The deposits consist of burnt and nonburnt organic residues and ash that came from hearths, ash dumps and burnt bedding.
It was first excavated in 1973 by John Parkington and Cedric Poggenpoel. Since 1999 it has been researched in a collaboration between the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
and the Institute of Prehistory and Quaternary Geology at the University of Bordeaux
University of Bordeaux
University of Bordeaux is an association of higher education institutions in and around Bordeaux, France. Its current incarnation was established 21 March 2007. The group is the largest system of higher education schools in southwestern France. It is part of the Academy of Bordeaux.There are seven...
.
Engraved ostrich eggshell containers
270 fragments of ostrich eggshell containers have been found covered with engraved geometric patterns. The fragments have a maximum size of 20–30 mm, though a number have been fitted into larger 80 × 40 mm fragments. It is estimated that fragments from 25 containers have been found. Eggshell fragments have been found throughout the period of occupation of the cave but those with engraving are found only in several layers within the Howiesons Poort period. These occur across 18 stratigraphic units, particularly those with the stratigraphic names Frank and Darryl. This suggests the tradition of engraving lasted for several thousand years.The engraving consists of abstract linear repetitive patterns, including a hatched band motif. One fragment has two parallel lines that might have been circular around the container.
It has been suggested that they form "a system of symbolic representation in which collective identities and individual expressions are clearly communicated, suggesting social, cultural, and cognitive underpinnings that overlap with those of modern people." Moreover, they show "the development of a graphic tradition and the complex use of symbols to mediate social interactions. The large number of marked pieces shows that there were rules for composing designs but room within the rules to allow for individual and/or group preferences."
Earlier finds exist of symbolism, such as the 75,000-year-old engraved ochre chunks found in the Blombos cave
Blombos Cave
Blombos Cave is a cave in a calcarenite limestone cliff on the Southern Cape coast in South Africa. It is an archaeological site made famous by the discovery of 75,000-year-old pieces of ochre engraved with abstract designs and beads made from Nassarius shells, and c. 80,000-year-old bone tools...
, but these are isolated and difficult to tell apart from meaningless doodles.
The engravings are found on ostrich eggshells that were used as water containers. Ostrich eggshells have an average volume of 1 liter. They may have had drinking spouts, holes to enable them to be strung as a canteen
Canteen (bottle)
A canteen is a drinking water bottle designed to be used by hikers, campers, soldiers and workers in the field. It is usually fitted with a shoulder strap or means for fastening it to a belt, and may be covered with a cloth bag and padding to protect the bottle and insulate the contents...
for easier carrying, and seem to have been part of "daily hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
life". They involved skill to make, with one of the researchers involved noting "Ostrich egg shells are quite hard. Doing such engravings is not so easy."
Local flora
The preservation of organic matter such as wood, grass, seeds and fruits at the site has been described as "exceptional". Pollen remains allow the identification of the local animals and plants. The Howiesons Poort period shows evidence for thicket or shrublandShrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
vegetation now usually found in gorges, such as Diospyros
Diospyros
Diospyros is a genus of about 450–500 species of deciduous and evergreen trees. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. They are commonly known as ebony or persimmon trees...
, Cassine peragua
Cassine peragua
Cassine peragua is a medium-sized tree with fragrant flowers, decorative fruits and a saffron-coloured trunk. It is indigenous to the Afro-montane forests of South Africa....
, Maytenus
Maytenus
Maytenus is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa...
, Rhus, and Hartogiella schinoides. Afromontane
Afromontane
Afromontane is a term used to describe the Afrotropic subregion and its plant and animal species common to the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
trees found in the area, include Ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
, Kiggelaria africana
Kiggelaria africana
Kiggelaria africana is a large, robust, low-branching African tree.Despite its common name, it is not related to the more familiar fruit-producing Peach tree although the leaves do superficially look similar.-Appearance:A well-shaped, robust, evergreen tree with grey-green leaves...
, Podocarpus elongatus
Podocarpus elongatus
Podocarpus elongatus is a species of conifer in the Podocarpaceae family. Unlike the other Yellowwoods of Southern Africa, Podocarpus elongatus grows as an enormous, dense, multi-stemmed bush....
, and Celtis africana
Celtis africana
Celtis africana is a tree in the Cannabaceae family. This is a common and widespread forest tree from South Africa to Ethiopia. It is a fast growing and popular garden tree in South Africa and is easily propagated....
. This suggests a more diversely wooded riverine environment than now present in the area.
Animal remains
Animal remains include those of mammalMammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s and intertidal marine shells. Most bones found in the cave come from rock hyrax, hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s, cape dune mole rats, steenbok
Steenbok
The Steenbok, Raphicerus campestris, is a common small antelope of southern and eastern Africa. It is sometimes known as the Steinbuck or Steinbok.- Description :...
and grysbok
Raphicerus
Raphicerus is a genus of small antelopes of the Tribe Neotragini .Raphicerus is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Kenya in the north to the Western Cape in South Africa.The genus contains three species:...
. Animals from rocky environments are also found including klipspringer
Klipspringer
The Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small species of African antelope.-Name:The word klipspringer literally means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans/Dutch...
, and vaalribbok. There is also evidence of local grasslands. with remains of zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
s, wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
and hartebeest
Hartebeest
The hartebeest is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus....
. Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
and southern reedbuck
Southern Reedbuck
The Southern Reedbuck, Rietbok or Common Reedbuck is a diurnal antelope typically found in southern Africa.It was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in 1785...
came from the local river. The sea coast seems to have moved up the river, as there are fragments from black mussel
Black mussel
The black mussel, Choromytilus meridionalis, is a species of bivalve. It is a marine mollusc in the family Mytilidae.-Distribution:This species is found only around the southern African coast, from central Namibia to Port Elizabeth, from the low intertidal to about 10m.-Description:This animal...
s, granite limpet
Cymbula granatina
Cymbula granatina is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Patellidae, one of the families of true limpets....
s, and Cape fur seal
Cape Fur Seal
The brown fur seal , also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and the Australian fur seal is a species of fur seal.-Description:...
s. Though there are ostrich-shell remains, no ostrich bones have been found.
Tortoise bones are mostly those of the angulate tortoise
Chersina angulata
The Bowsprit tortoise , also known as the Angulate tortoise or Rooipens, is a species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forest in South Africa. This tortoise in the only known member of the genus Chersina....
that is still found in the area. These are noted to have been "remarkably large compared with their Late Stone Age counterparts, suggesting different intensities of predation between MSA and Late Stone Age populations".