Project description
Exploring human cultural diversity in the late Pleistocene
In the late Pleistocene (about 126 000 to 11 700 years ago) Homo sapiens populations in southern Africa developed varied technologies to craft stone tools. Similarities and differences in stone tool production across space and time might reflect cultural coalescence and fragmentation events. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, RStone aims to investigate population dynamics between 59 000 and 28 000 years ago and understand how stone tools can inform us about changing demographic patterns. To achieve this, RStone will develop a standardised method for quantitatively analysing stone tools and examine seven archaeological sites from different regions of southern Africa. By prioritising open science, RStone will provide tools and datasets to foster collaborative projects while training young researchers in stone tool analysis.
Objective
Our species emerged from gene flow between structured populations across various regions of Africa. This process entailed intermitted events of coalescence and fragmentation, visible in late Pleistocene archaeological records through changing patterns of lithic technological similarity. In this framework, the MIS3 (59–28 ka) is a particularly intriguing period because archaeologists working in southern Africa have hypothesized that the marked regional variance in lithic technology is ascribable to cultural fragmentation and reduced information exchange among dispersed populations. However, it may also stem from the lack of a replicable system for recording and statistically analyzing lithic traits. The RStone project seeks to address this research challenge by pursuing three primary objectives. Firstly, it will develop a standardized method for recording lithic traits through comprehensive replicability experiments. Secondly, it will utilize this established recording system to collect novel lithic data from seven well-dated MIS3 stratigraphic sequences across Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. Finally, it will conduct a quantitative inter-site comparison to explore techno-typological similarities and differences and determine whether the observed variance follows a pattern of isolation by distance or if other factors, such as geological constraints, played a role in shaping the way in which human foragers produced stone tools. This research will yield valuable open-source tools implemented in the R programming language and high-resolution datasets. In line with open science practices, RStone will prioritize the transfer and sharing of these resources, with a particular focus on engaging young African researchers. The extensive collaboration network will ensure a robust dissemination of results while positioning the fellow as a key figure in exploring the intricate interplay between human cultural diversity and population dynamics during the Pleistocene.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global FellowshipsCoordinator
8005 139 Faro
Portugal