New excavations at Border Cave: preliminary reflections on stratigraphy and site formation processes

STRATFORD, D; D'ERRICO, F.; BACKWELL, L.R.; WADLEY, L.

Pretoria

Conferencia; ASAPA 2017 Conference; 2017

Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Pretoria

The Border Cave rock shelter, situated on the western scarp of the Lebombo Mountains, KwaZulu-Natal, has a long history of archaeological investigation starting with Raymond Dart in 1934. Phases of informal and formal excavation of the rock shelter, formed in Early Jurassic fragmental rocks of the Jozini Formation, have yielded remarkable archaeological assemblages including five hominin specimens and spanning MIS 4, 5 and 6. BC1 and 2 have unsecure provenances. BC3 and BC4 are claimed to have been excavated from burial contexts, while BC5 was excavated from strata 3WA during Peter Beaumont?s extensive excavation of the site in the 1970?s. The ages and stratigraphic associations of these specimens have been debated. Beaumont?s excavations revealed a long lithostratigraphic sequence documenting perhaps 200,000 years of sedimentation and anthropogenic occupation through until the Iron Age. Remarkable preservation of organic matter has provided a wealth of data on the anthropogenic activities and environmental context through the Border Cave sequence which is divided up into multiple BS (Brown Sand) and WA (White Ash) Members. New investigations, started in 2015, aim to develop greater contextual and chronological resolution to this sequence and its rich archaeological record. Here, we present some preliminary geoarchaeological observations of the Border Cave stratigraphy made during these new excavations.