Velliky Elizabeth C, d'Errico Francesco, van Niekerk Karen L, Henshilwood Christopher S
Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Université de Bordeaux, PACEA UMR 5199, CNRS, Pessac, France.
Sci Adv. 2025 Jun 27;11(26):eads2797. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2797.
Ochre, an iron-rich pigment, is widely associated with symbolic communication, but its functional applications in the Middle Stone Age (MSA) remain poorly understood. Experimental and ethnographic evidence suggests ochre being useful for hide tanning, hafting adhesives, and skin protection, although direct archeological evidence is scarce. We address this gap by presenting ochre tools from Blombos Cave, South Africa, found in Still Bay to pre-Still Bay layers dated 90 to 70,000 years ago. Seven ochre pieces were deliberately modified into lithic retouchers, showing clear use-wear patterns and evidence of intentional shaping. Targeted experiments confirm that some were used for pressure flaking and were rejuvenated to maintain function. These findings provide direct evidence of ochre being used to retouch lithic artifacts during the MSA, highlighting its role in technological systems of this period. The results emphasize the multifunctionality of ochre and suggest that such curated tools may have held personal, cultural, or technological significance within early modern human communities.
赭石是一种富含铁的颜料，广泛与符号交流相关联，但其在中石器时代（MSA）的功能应用仍知之甚少。实验和人种学证据表明，赭石可用于鞣制皮革、制作 Hafting 粘合剂和保护皮肤，尽管直接的考古证据很少。我们通过展示在南非布隆伯斯洞穴发现的赭石工具来填补这一空白，这些工具发现于距今 9 万至 7 万年前的斯蒂尔湾前斯蒂尔湾层。七块赭石被特意加工成石片修整器，显示出清晰的使用磨损模式和有意塑形的证据。有针对性的实验证实，其中一些被用于压力剥落，并经过修复以保持功能。这些发现提供了直接证据，证明在中石器时代赭石被用于修整石制文物，凸显了其在这一时期技术系统中的作用。结果强调了赭石的多功能性，并表明这种经过精心制作的工具在早期现代人类社区中可能具有个人、文化或技术意义。
