Archaeology of the Stilbaai area
Modern man (Homo sapiens) has been living in and around Stilbaai as far back as 70 000 years and more ago. Human-like people, now extinct, had however lived here even as far back as close to a million years ago. Some of their ancient stone artefacts can be seen in both the Blombos Museum in Stilbaai as well as the museum of the Versfeld House, in Riverdale.
Blombos Cave, near Stilbaai, has since about 140 000 years ago from time to time been occupied by Homo sapiens, ie modern humans. These were the ancestors of the San, who, before the colonists scattered them, had been living here for many centuries.
Excavations in 1993 and 1997 have yielded Later Stone Age (LSA) cultural artefacts (associated with the Khoi and San) as well as food remains (including shell fish, fish, antelope and sheep bones) dated by C14 technology to the last 2 000 years up to about 300 years ago. ( However, shell middens around the cave yielded dates as far back as 7 000 years ago).
Below the LSA layers in Blombos Cave, was a layer of sterile dune sand, dated by physicists, using thermoluminesence technology, as having been blown into the cave 70 000 years ago. Below this layer of sand, Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits dating more than 75 000 years and more ago were found. Analysis has shown that the people who occupied Blombos Cave at this stage had taken important steps towards modernity, indicating that Africa was not only the cradle of man, but also the behavioural cradle of modern humans (Homo sapiens). Besides creating exquisitely knapped bifacial stone points, they were turning animal bones into finely worked tools and weapon points. They were also hoarding ochre, a soft crayon like substance in hues of brown, red and yellow, usually used for decorative body painting, artwork and in rituals. Some of these pieces of ochre had even been engraved with symmetrical cris-cross lines, suggesting abstract symbolic intent. Further, plentiful large fish bones indicate that they engaged in organised fishing, implying sophisticated social behaviour and well-developed speech. Perforated shell beads have also been found in the MSA layers, lending further credence to the notion that these peole were behaviourally and cognitively modern.
With regard to the more recent Later Stone Age, some interesting examples of rock art created by the San abound in the nearby Langeberg and have also been found on the farm Bauerskloof near Stilbaai and in the Canca valley, ±15-20 km north-west of Stilbaai. The rock paintings are presently being surveyed.
Information compiled and provied by Mr Reon Meij of Stilbaai.
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