Experimentation as a driving force for innovation in the Pre-Still Bay from Southern Africa

Abstract

Experimentation preceding innovation in a MIS5 Pre-Still Bay layer from Diepkloof Rock Shelter (South Africa): emerging technologies and symbols (2020), EcoEvoRxiv, ch53r, ver. 3 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Archaeology. limited and the chaînes opératoires uncomplete. Yet, the economy of the raw materials (sensu Perles 1992) makes unlikely that some of the reduction sequences are not independent from each other’s, such as the quadrangular flakes on quartzite slab and the bipolar/pieces esquillées pieces on quartz pebbles. We have one refitting of a series of blanks that shows a bladelet reduction sequence on a flake. We have a few laminar/elongated blanks that cannot be coming from the previously mentioned reductions sequences, nor it comes from the bifacial reduction sequence. I agree that there are uncertainties regarding the clear distinction between the flake and triangular flakes reduction sequences, with the exception of the “accourcies points” category which comes from an independent reduction sequences (triangular flakes with a triangular section and -dominantly- a cortical side). In the introduction of 3.2, we recall the fact that our sample size is limited and shall be implemented by further studies: “Considering the limited size of the whole assemblage, we acknowledge that further studies will have to complete the present set of observations. “ last sentence ending the paper “It is assumed that people from Southern Africa during the MIS5, regardless of their technological differences, formed a pool of people culturally and biologically connected to each other.” Sentence that we have consequently modified as follow: “It is assumed that people from Southern Africa during the MIS5, regardless of their technological and cultural differences, formed a pool of people socially and biologically connected to each other.”