Mackay Alex, Stewart Brian A, Chase Brian M
Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia.
Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, University of Michigan, Ruthven Museums Building, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
J Hum Evol. 2014 Jul;72:26-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Apr 18.
The later Pleistocene archaeological record of southernmost Africa encompasses several Middle Stone Age industries and the transition to the Later Stone Age. Through this period various signs of complex human behaviour appear episodically, including elaborate lithic technologies, osseous technologies, ornaments, motifs and abstract designs. Here we explore the regional archaeological record using different components of lithic technological systems to track the transmission of cultural information and the extent of population interaction within and between different climatic regions. The data suggest a complex set of coalescent and fragmented relationships between populations in different climate regions through the late Pleistocene, with maximum interaction (coalescence) during MIS 4 and MIS 2, and fragmentation during MIS 5 and MIS 3. Coalescent phases correlate with increases in the frequency of ornaments and other forms of symbolic expression, leading us to suggest that population interaction was a significant driver in their appearance.
非洲最南端晚更新世的考古记录涵盖了多个中石器时代的文化以及向晚石器时代的过渡。在这一时期，各种复杂人类行为的迹象偶尔出现，包括精细的石器技术、骨器技术、装饰品、图案和抽象设计。在这里，我们利用石器技术系统的不同组成部分来探索区域考古记录，以追踪文化信息的传播以及不同气候区域内部和之间的人口互动程度。数据表明，在晚更新世期间，不同气候区域的人群之间存在着一系列复杂的融合与分散关系，在海洋同位素阶段4（MIS 4）和海洋同位素阶段2（MIS 2）期间互动最为频繁（融合），而在海洋同位素阶段5（MIS 5）和海洋同位素阶段3（MIS 3）期间则出现分散。融合阶段与装饰品及其他形式象征表达频率的增加相关，这使我们认为人口互动是它们出现的一个重要驱动因素。
