The Forgotten Cave and the Still Bay

The South African Stone Age site Peers Cave has become forgotten by present day researches. The cave was first excavated in the 1920's and the recovered finds were described as monumental, especially sensational was the quantity of the Still Bay material. The excavation records were however never fully completed or published, and later work has been more or less abandoned, as the remaining collection has been termed unreliable. The interest in the Still Bay was renewed with the more resent discoveries from Blombos Cave, suggesting symbolic behaviour in a period dated to 80-70 000 ya. An investigation of the early excavations of Peers Cave and its lithic material, shows that even this collection can hold some scientific value and contribute to the research on this important Middle Stone Age sub-stage. The Middle Stone Age lithic material from the Peers Cave collection has been studied trough a technological analysis, with some varied results. The various lithic industries from the early descriptions of the site was verified, also the analysis provided some information regarding manufacture and function of the Still Bay bifacial points from Peers Cave.

Autorentext

Hege Andreassen born in Kristiansand, Norway, 1982. Studied archaeology at the University of Oslo. master degree in archaeology in 2010.