THE STUDY OF THE FAURE SMITH: A REVIEW

David Underhill

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Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Archaeology and Rock Art Studies

Abstract

The Fauresmith is an enigmatic South African stone tool industry, or culture, which many believe to be transitional between the Earlier and Middle Stone Ages. However, there is no consensus on its content or in fact, universal agreement on its existence. Over the past few years, absolute dating has been undertaken on sediments containing material labelled as Fauresmith. This has challenged its transitional status, but also exacerbated its use as a chrono-temporal marker. This is further complicating an already confused issue. Attempts at clarifying the Fauresmith are still ongoing, and offered here is an historical overview of its study since its first discovery. Presented is a review of the original classification proposed by Goodwin and Van Riet Lowe, its changing interpretation during the development of archaeology within South Africa, and the eventual abandonment of the term due to its misuse. Attention shall then turn to the more recent resurrection of the term and the added levels of confusion that have arisen since this time. This review of the study of the Fauresmith can offer explanations as to how we have arrived at the present state of confusion, allowing us to move towards a firmer understanding of the Fauresmith and its place within the archaeology of South Africa.

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References

2000The revolution that wasn't: a new interpretation of the origin of modern human behavior 1999Human Beginnings in South Africa: Uncovering the Secrets of the Stone Age 2003The Early to Middle Stone Age Transition and the Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour at site 8-B-11, Sai Island, Sudan 1970Background to Evolution in Africa 2009New radiometric ages for the Fauresmith industry from Kathu Pan, southern Africa: Implications for the Earlier to Middle Stone Age transition 2006On a timescale for the past million years of human history in central South Africa 2009The first Africans: African archaeology from the earliest tool makers to most recent foragers 2002Tephrostratigraphy and the Acheulian to Middle Stone Age transition in the Kapthurin Formation, Kenya

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2012Blade production ∼500 thousand years ago at Kathu Pan 1, South Africa: support for a multiple origins hypothesis for early Middle Pleistocene blade technologies 2015Technological Trends in the Acheulean of Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa 2012The Middle Stone Age of the Central Sahara: Biogeographical opportunities and technological strategies in later human evolution 2020The Fauresmith of South Africa: A new assemblage from Canteen Kopje and significance of the technology in human and cultural evolution

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