Twenty‐one years ago, a landmark exploration of mitochondrial DNA diversity popularized
the idea of a recent African origin for all living humans. 1 The ancestral African population …

Much has been written about Middle Stone Age hunting in southern Africa, yet there is no
comprehensive overview for the development and use of stone-tipped hunting weapons …

Hafting stone points to spears was an important advance in weaponry for early humans.
Multiple lines of evidence indicate that~ 500,000-year-old stone points from the …

The expansion of modern human populations in Africa 80,000 to 60,000 years ago and their
initial exodus out of Africa have been tentatively linked to two phases of technological and …

Compound adhesives made from red ochre mixed with plant gum were used in the Middle
Stone Age (MSA), South Africa. Replications reported here suggest that early artisans did …

Projectile weaponry is a human cultural universal, but its origins and antiquity remain poorly
understood. Stone-and bone-tipped projectile weapons have long been treated as emergent …

The invention of the bow and arrow was a pivotal moment in the human story and its earliest
use is a primary quarry of the modern researcher. Since the organic parts of the weapon …

Here we report on newly identified beads recovered from four Middle Stone Age levels at
Blombos Cave and, in particular, on a cluster of 24 perforated Nassarius kraussianus shells …

Africa's Middle Stone Age (MSA) may have lasted almost half a million years, but its earliest
expression is not yet well understood. The MSA is best known for innovations that appear in …

Recently discovered bone implements from Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits at Sibudu
Cave, South Africa, confirm the existence of a bone tool industry for the Howiesons Poort …