Title
A 100,000-Year-Old Ochre-Processing Workshop at Blombos Cave, South Africa
Files
Download Full Text
Publication Date
October 2011
Abstract
The conceptual ability to source, combine, and store substances that enhance technology or social practices represents a benchmark in the evolution of complex human cognition. Excavations in 2008 at Blombos Cave, South Africa, revealed a processing workshop where a liquefied ochre-rich mixture was produced and stored in two Haliotis midae (abalone) shells 100,000 years ago. Ochre, bone, charcoal, grindstones, and hammerstones form a composite part of this production toolkit. The application of the mixture is unknown, but possibilities include decoration and skin protection.
Type
Article
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Identifier
SFS0071708_00001
Recommended Citation
Henshilwood, Christopher S.; D'Errico, Francesco; Van Niekerk, Karen L.; and Coquinot, Yvan et al, "A 100,000-Year-Old Ochre-Processing Workshop at Blombos Cave, South Africa" (2011). KIP Articles. 114.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/114