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Current Issues in Human Origins Research in South Africa

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Current Issues in Human Origins Research in South Africa 234 South African Journal of Science 99, May/June 2003 picks up soon thereafter, and continues in abundance to the present. Backwell and d'Errico (259) report on new bone Current issues in human origins tools from Swartkrans, c. 1.8–1 Myr, and suggest that robust australopithecines research in South Africa were the hominids using them. Kuman (251) discusses how the formation of sites can influence the preservation of Stone Rebecca Rogers Ackermann* Age artifacts. Parkington (243) and Wadley (247) tackle the other end of the Commissioning Editor human lineage, addressing the difficult issue of recognizing the archaeological ANY OF THE ARTICLES IN THE FOLLOW- and Thackeray (241) and Moggi-Cecchi evidence for the emergence of modernity. Ming pages were originally pre- (268) both tackle the thorny issue of early Also included in this special suite are sented at the American Association hominid taxonomy using quantitative four articles which address important of Physical Anthropologists annual meet- methods. Ackermann (255) adds a cau- current issues in palaeoanthropological ing in April of 2002, in Buffalo, New York, tionary note to this, showing that the research. The distinctive and distin- as part of a symposium entitled ‘Australo- standard approach used to evaluate fossil guished South African tradition in pithecines to AMHS: Current Paleo- taxonomy may be imprudent. palaeoanthropology has spanned most of anthropological Research in South The hard work of locating and excavat- a century, and continues to be both Africa’. The goal of this symposium was to ing hominid fossil sites also plays a crucial vibrant and valued, while also facing sig- explore the breadth of research currently part in all palaeoanthropological studies, nificant challenges. Brain (235) reports on being undertaken in this country. Al- and articles by Berger,de Ruiter,Steininger the expanded role of an important fund- though there have been some new addi- and Hancox (276), Berger and Lacruz ing agency for South African palaeo- tions to this body of material (and a few (279), and Reynolds, Vogel, Clarke and anthropologists. Sealy (238) offers a deletions), the goal remains unchanged Kuman (283) describe important contri- thoughtful perspective on managing for this publication. butions to this endeavour. Lacruz, Ungar, museum collections of human remains. These papers represent current palaeo- Brink and Berger (286) also show how GIS The museum’s role in promoting heritage anthropological research in South Africa analysis can offer important insight into awareness by means of materials for broadly construed — investigations into palaeontological field research. teaching and research is described on hominid taxonomy and morphology, South African researchers pioneered page 240. Van der Merwe (237) discusses ancient diets and environments, early methods for reconstructing past diets and how legislative issues surrounding culture, site formation and excavation are environments through stable light isotope research permits are negatively affect- all included. South Africa has a unique analysis, and these methods are being ing the practice of archaeologists and fossil record that reflects important used to understand the ancient environ- palaeontologists. events, both ancient and recent, and ments of early hominids. Sponheimer I wish to thank all of those who partici- therefore the temporal range of the and Lee-Thorp (273) use bovid data to pated in the original symposium in Buf- papers is also broad — from the Pliocene show that, three million years ago, fossil falo, as well as those who have graciously to the late Pleistocene. This remarkable hominids from Makapansgat in the added their contributions to this special time depth contributes towards a better Limpopo Province were probably living issue. The topics covered here are by no understanding of ancestors living three in a relatively wooded environment. In a means exhaustive — plenty of excellent, million years ago, as well as the earliest companion paper, Luyt and Lee-Thorp well-established research programmes as members of our species — anatomically (271) use data from Sterkfontein bovids to well as emerging research areas are not modern Homo sapiens (AMHS). The show that the major shift to open environ- represented — but are indicative of the articles that follow fit broadly into four ments in this region occurred around 1.7 scope of research being pursued in South different categories: describing and ana- million years ago (Myr), somewhat later Africa. To the Reader: I hope you will lysing the fossil remains themselves, than previously thought. enjoy this glimpse into South Africa's locating and excavating the sites they Human ancestors started using stone remarkable ancient heritage, and will emerge from, reconstructing the environ- tools around 2.5 million years ago, and the pass it on to others — especially young ments they lived in, and understanding record of material culture in South Africa people. There is so much more to be done. their behaviour. South Africa is home to one of the most important fossil hominid resources in the world — the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site — and the study of the fossils that emerge from this region is ongoing. The reconstruction and descrip- tion of such material plays an essential role in our understanding of early human evolution, and papers by Toussaint, Macho, Tobias, Partridge and Hughes (page 215), and by Kibii and Clarke (225), add to this body of knowledge. The classi- fication of such material is often complex, Map of important palaeontological and archaeological site in South Africa, to which reference is made in the *Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, following pages: 1, Makapansgat; 2, The ‘Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site’, which includes Sterk- Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. fontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, Drimolen, Plovers’ Lake, Gondolin, Coopers and Gladysvale; 3, Taung; 4, Border E-mail: [email protected] Cave; 5, Florisbad; 6, Rose Cottage; 7, Sibudu; 8, Klasies River Mouth 9, Blombos; 10, Elands Bay Cave..
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