Die Toon: a Late Holocene site in the Richtersveld National Park, northern Cape

Abstract

A small excavation in the arid eastern portion of the Richtersveld National Park has produced evidence of hunter-gatherer occupation during the period ca. 3800 to 3100 years ago. These are the earliest Holocene deposits to have been excavated in Namaqualand. The occupation layers are very ephemeral but include microlithic stone tools and evidence for the hunting of small game. The possible presence of blesbok indicates more grassveld in the vicinity of the site than at present.

Keywords

• archaeology. Late Stone Age, Richtersveld National Park, hunter-gatherers, blesbok.