Various studies have investigated cognitive mechanisms underlying culture in humans and
other great apes. However, the adaptive reasons for the evolution of uniquely sophisticated …

Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that pigment use, beads, engravings, and
sophisticated stone and bone tools were already present in southern Africa 75,000 y ago …

Humans evolved in a patchwork of semi-connected populations across Africa,;
understanding when and how these groups connected is critical to interpreting our present …

Ostrich (Struthio spp.) eggshells are present in archaeological assemblages in many
regions of Africa and Asia. However, and unlike other artifacts and ecofacts, there are no …

Abstract African Middle Stone Age (MSA) populations used pigments, manufactured and
wore personal ornaments, made abstract engravings, and produced fully shaped bone tools …

The archaeology of East Africa during the last~ 65,000 years plays a central role in debates
about the origins and dispersal of modern humans, Homo sapiens. Despite the historical …

Numerous questions remain regarding the timing and the context of Upper Paleolithic
emergence in Northeast Asia. Available data allow the recognition of a form of Initial Upper …

The origins of herding practices in southern Africa remain controversial. The first
appearance of domesticated caprines in the subcontinent is thought to be c. 2000 years BP; …

Personal ornaments have become a key cultural proxy to investigate cognitive evolution,
modern human dispersal, and population dynamics. Here, we reassess personal ornaments …

This study examines mid-to late Holocene Later Stone Age archaeological residues–
specifically flaked stone artefacts, ostrich eggshell beads and pottery–from Namaqualand …