Stillbay

The Middle Stone Age
↑ Early Stone Age
Pre-Still Bay
Stillbay
Howiesons Poort
Post-Howiesons Poort
Late
Final MSA phases
↓ Later Stone Age
Map
Selected Stillbay sites from the ROAD database (CC BY-SA 4.0 ROCEEH)

The Stillbay or Still Bay industry was named by archaeologists A. J. H. Goodwin and C. van Riet Lowe in 1929,[1] and is a Middle Stone Age stone tool manufacturing style after the site of Stilbaai (also called Still Bay) in South Africa where it was first described. It may have developed from the earlier Acheulian types. In addition to Acheulian stone tools, bone and antler picks were also used.

Its start and end are calculated at 71.9 ka and 71.0 ka. At present, too few data exist to limit the 95% confidence intervals of these date to more than 4 to 5 ky. However, available data are consistent with a duration of less than 1 ky.[2]

Sampson in 1974 questioned its existence on the grounds that sites were not properly described and they lacked stratigraphic integrity[3] However, more recent work from sites such as Blombos Cave[4] and Sibudu Cave[5] attest to its existence.

It is broadly analogous to the Mousterian culture in Europe.

Olduvai Gorge has within its many ages of tools, some of the Stillbay variety.[6]

  1. ^ Goodwin, AJH; van Riet Lowe, C (1929). "The Stone Age cultures of South Africa". Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 27: 1–289.
  2. ^ Jacobs, Z; Roberts, RG; Galbraith, RF; Deacon, HJ; Grün, R; Mackay, A; Mitchell, P; Vogelsang, R; Wadley, L (2008). "Ages for the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa: implications for human behavior and dispersal". Science. 322 (5902): 733–5. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.469.1059. doi:10.1126/science.1162219. PMID 18974351.
  3. ^ Sampson GS. (1974). The Stone Age Archaeology of Southern Africa. Academic Press, New York.
  4. ^ Grine, FE; Henshilwood, CS (2002). "Additional human remains from Blombos Cave, South Africa: (1999-2000 excavations)". J Hum Evol. 42 (3): 293–302. doi:10.1006/jhev.2001.0525. PMID 11846532.
  5. ^ Wadley, L (2007). "Announcing a Still Bay industry at Sibudu Cave, South Africa". J Hum Evol. 52 (6): 681–9. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.01.002. PMID 17337038.
  6. ^ Langer, William L., ed. (1972). An Encyclopedia of World History (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 9. ISBN 978-0-395-13592-1.