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Plio-Pleistocene Palaeoanthropological Research

As a hub for palaeo research within the country and continent, conduct research on various sub-disciplines associated with the origins and evolution of humans. Our research repertoire spans from the Plio-Pleistocene to the Holocene where we examine our not only our origins, but how we shaped our environment through our behaviour and material culture.

Drimolen fossil site聽

One of only 2 fossil cave sites managed by the 欧美福利100000 of Johannesburg under the permit held By Dr Stephanie Caruana. A palaeontological site located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site popularly known as the Cradle of Humankind, dating to approximately 2.61 Ma. The site captures the聽 transition between the late Pliocene to Pleistocene in South Africa. The site has been actively excavated since the 1990s and has produced a diverse record of聽Paranthropus robustus, early Homo, recently Homo erectus, early Pleistocene bone tools and a myriad of animal fauna such as the first postcranial remains of the hunting hyaenid (Chasmaporthetes ?nitidula) from the region.

Fossil Primate Research聽

Fossil Cercopithecoids are some of the most abundant fauna that occur with hominins in South Africa鈥檚 Plio-Pleistocene cave deposits. Often used as analogues for hominin adaptation and evolution South Africa has yielded some small-bodied papionins, Papio izodi, Parapapio jonesi and Parapapio broomi which occupied a grassland environment with a gallery forest. Research focus on primate postcrania which, due to their lack of association with crania and dentition, are mostly not identified to taxa. However, their temporal associations where specific species are known, combined with character descriptions, might reveal morphological diversity. Utilising various comparative shape analyses such as the utilisation of landmark data to assess morphological variation within these fossil cave sites.

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This is a discipline that studies botanical remains from archaeological sites from the Pleistocene to the Holocene which saw many climatic and evolutionary shifts that allowed the selection of biological and behavioural traits that define humanity in the Anthropocene. Plants have played a significant role as climate proxies in accelerating many biological and behavioural changes that occurred in human history. This speciality mainly focuses on analysing wood charcoal from archaeological sites to examine how plants contributed to palaeoenvironments.

STONE AGE ARCHAEOLOGY

A prehistoric period when stone tools were the first forms of technology, formed from stones fashioned into a working edge or a point. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years. In southern Africa, the Stone Age encompasses the longest portion of human history on earth, from the last three million years through to the later part of the stone age. Check out some of our Stone Age sites!

Wonderboom Earlier Stone Age Acheulian site

Located within the eastern boundary of the Magaliesberg, the research objective is to potentially provide insight into early adaptive strategies of hominin populations to local landscape features.

Wonderboom is situated on top of a quartzite outcrop that was quarried for raw materials used in stone tool production, and it is within ~400 meters of a poort (i.e. an erosional pass) that likely acted as a bottleneck for migrating animal herds in the deep past. The site likely represents a hunting/butchery site, which Acheulean hominins (living in southern Africa between about 1 million and 600,000 years ago) strategically occupied to either actively hunt animals passing through the poort or to scavenge animals that died during such events. Wonderboom may reflect important behavioural adaptations to the landscape, based upon a strategic understanding of geological resources and geographic features.

Use-Trace Microscopy

The PRI boasts a dedicated use-trace microscopy unit overseen by Prof. Justin Bradfield. We have a range of Olympus equipment and specialise in use-wear and non-chemical micro-residue analysis. The facility is open to visiting researchers on request.

SZX16 stereomicroscope: The first port of call for any archaeological magnification requirements, this stereo is equipped with a LED ring illuminator for optimal shadowing conditions.

BX51M high-power reflected light microscope: With full florescence capabilities, polarizing lenses, BF and DF illumination and magnifications up to 1000x, this is the mainstay of the unit.

DSX1000 3D scanning microscope: This 3D scanning microscope has super-long working distance objectives, a tiltable head with telecentric focus and surface roughness measurement capabilities.

DinoLite AM791MZT: Small and portable with polarising capabilities, this is the ideal field

Ancient human DNA analysis聽

Our researchers have been at the forefront of ancient genomics by using DNA to recalculate the genetic time depth for the origins of our species to between 350-260 thousand years ago, much older than the previously estimated 200-160 thousand-years ago.

Professor Marlize Lombard and team have been pioneers in genome analysis by publishing a first-of-its-kind study for Africa, creating unimaginably detailed, personal knowledge about individuals who roamed our past landscapes. This study has demonstrated the ability of science to establish infections such as typhus (Rickettsia felis) and malaria (Plasmodium falciparum), a co-infection still fatal to many African children.

Amanzi Springs Archaeological Site

Amanzi Springs lies 40 km north of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The site consists of eleven thermal spring eyes which were initially excavated in the 1960s. These preliminary excavations identified stratified Acheulian layers some of correlated with wood. More recent excavations of Acheulian occupations suggest occupation聽 dated to between 530 and 390 ka. Acheulian artifacts from the site suggests that Amanzi Springs represents a raw material source and workshop utilised for the production of large cutting tools. An interesting fact about the site is that it preserves Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeology which was discovered in a new portion of the site, Area 7. Some Area 1 layers that also contain MSA material have been dated to ~190 ka, the oldest identified along the southern Cape coast of South Africa.