Raw Material Sourcing Analyses of Ochre and Stone Tools from the Middle Stone Age site of Mwulu’s Cave (Limpopo, South Africa)
Résumé
Southern Africa’s Middle Stone Age saw major breakthroughs in early human technology and culture, including heat treatment of stone and ochre use. These practices emerged during MIS 5 (130–71 ka) and reflect growing social cohesion and shared traditions within hunter-gatherer communities. By forming distinct communities of practice, these groups passed down knowledge and skills, shaping cultural evolution across diverse regions. Lithics and ochre have often been studied separately, thus, research combining their provenance remains rare. This study presents the joint analysis of both materials from Mwulu’s Cave (Limpopo, South Africa), using exploratory pXRF, petrography, SEM-EDS, and PIXE to trace their origins. Results reveal repeated site occupations with locally sourced stone and both local and non-local ochre procurement strategies. A notable contrast in ochre processing—abrasion at Mwulu’s Cave versus percussion at nearby Waterberg sites—suggests either shifting traditions or interactions among different communities. These findings offer valuable insight into the mobility, exchange networks, and cultural dynamics of early hunter-gatherer societies.