Abstract

The oldest archaeological sites currently known in northernmost South Africa are found in the Mapungubwe National Park (formerly known as the Vhembe-Dongola National Park) and neighbouring farms, where there is a widespread distribution of open-air sites in deflated contexts. They are sealed by Holocene sands, which at some of the sites contain Later Stone Age (LSA) artefacts. The industry to which the older assemblages are most comparable is final Earlier Stone Age (ESA) in character, with parallels to the Sangoan Industry, or what has locally been proposed as the Charaman from Zimbabwe. A developed phase of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) with segments and retouched points is also represented on one landscape. Rockshelter sites are being investigated to locate stratified deposits to which the open sites may be compared. In the interim, the material provides a form of ‘archaeological signature’ that can contribute to the overall evaluation of Stone Age occupations in northernmost South Africa. Large-scale climatic fluctuations during the course of the Pleistocene have influenced occupations across southern Africa. The archaeology of the Mapungubwe area appears to have more in common with developments north of the Limpopo than it does with the South African sequence.

Résumé

Les plus anciens sites préhistoriques de la région septentrionale de l'Afrique du Sud se trouvent dans le Parc National de Mapungubwe (appelé auparavant Parc National de Vhembe-Dongola) et dans les fermes voisines. Il s'agit de gisements de plein air localisés dans des plaines et recouverts de formations sableuses datant de l'Holocène qui contiennent, dans certains des sites, des objets du Later Stone Age. Les industries les plus anciennes de la région sont comparables à celles de la fin du Early Stone Age (ESA), avec quelques ressemblances avec le Sangoan ou le Charaman du Zimbabwe. Une phase évoluée du Middle Stone Age (MSA), avec des segments et des pointes retouchées, a également été identifiée dans une zone. Des abris sous roche font actuellement l'objet de prospections avec l'objectif de localiser des dépôts archéologiques stratifiés auxquels rattacher les sites de plein air.