Ostrich eggshell beads: Hole drilling technology at Little Muck Shelter, South Africa

Abstract

Ostrich eggshell beads (OES) are commonly found in forager sites across sub-Saharan Africa. Although they have received a reasonable amount of investigation, the drilling technology used to perforate OES beads has received little attention. As a result, not much is known about this technology. Providing a basic tool form for these drills could be useful for future researchers to identify such tools in assemblages, or to prompt revisiting older assemblages to identify these types of tools, which might have been overlooked or misidentified. This study made use of experimentation and use-wear to determine the types and shapes of materials most effective for perforating OES. It was determined that early foragers most likely used micro-lithic drills made from small, but thick, flake blanks that were retouched along the laterals to create a near symmetrical point with a tetrahedral tip. At Little Muck Shelter the base of the flake was also shaped to resemble a tang that likely aided hafting. This tool form can act as a basis to help researchers identify similar technology which can be studied and help broaden our understanding of the complexity of forager technology.