Fire and grass-bedding construction 200 thousand years ago at Border Cave, South Africa
Alternative Title
Science
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Publication Date
8-14-2020
Volume Number
369
Issue Number
6505
Abstract
Early plant use is seldom described in the archaeological record because of poor preservation. We report the discovery of grass bedding used to create comfortable areas for sleeping and working by people who lived in Border Cave at least 200,000 years ago. Sheaves of grass belonging to the broad-leafed Panicoideae subfamily were placed near the back of the cave on ash layers that were often remnants of bedding burned for site maintenance. This strategy is one forerunner of more-complex behavior that is archaeologically discernible from ~100,000 years ago.
Document Type
Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc7239
Recommended Citation
Wadley, Lyn; Esteban, Irene; and de la Peña, Paloma, "Fire and grass-bedding construction 200 thousand years ago at Border Cave, South Africa" (2020). KIP Articles. 6115.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/6115
