| Diepkloof Rock Shelter | |
|---|---|
 General view of Diepkloof Rock Shelter | |
  | |
| Location | Verlorenvlei,Western Cape |
| Coordinates | 32°23′12″S18°27′10″E / 32.38667°S 18.45278°E /-32.38667; 18.45278 |
| Geology | Quartzitic Sandstone |
 Interactive map of Diepkloof Rock Shelter | |
| Official name | Diepkloof Rock Shelter |
| Part of | The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, iv, v |
| Inscription | 2024 (46thSession) |
Diepkloof Rock Shelter is arock shelter inWestern Cape, South Africa in which has been found some of the earliest evidence of the human use ofsymbols, in the form of patterns engraved uponostrich eggshell water containers. These date around 60,000 years ago.[1][2]
The symbolic patterns consist of lines crossed at right angles or oblique angles by hatching. It has been suggested that "by the repetition of this motif, early humans were trying to communicate something. Perhaps they were trying to express the identity of the individual or the group."[3]
In 2024, the Diepkloof Rock Shelter became a part of theWorld Heritage Site of Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa.[4]
The cave is about 17 kilometres (11 mi) from the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean in a semi-arid area, nearElands Bay about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north ofCape Town.[2] It occurs inquartzitic sandstone in abutte that overlooks in an east direction 100 metres (330 ft) above theVerlorenvlei River. It contains one of the "most complete and continuous laterMiddle Stone Age sequences in southern Africa"[1] stretching from before 130,000 BP to about 45,000 BP and encompassing pre-Stillbay,Stillbay,Howiesons Poort, and post-Howiesons Poort periods. It is about 25 metres (82 ft) wide and 15 metres (49 ft) deep. Research is based upon finds discovered in a trench excavated within it that is 16 metres (52 ft) across and 3.6 metres (12 ft) in depth. The deposits consist of burnt and nonburnt organic residues and ash that came from hearths, ash dumps and burnt bedding.[1]
It was first excavated in 1973 byJohn Parkington and Cedric Poggenpoel.[5] Since 1999 it has been researched in a collaboration between the Department of Archaeology at theUniversity of Cape Town and the Institute of Prehistory and Quaternary Geology at theUniversity of Bordeaux.[2]
At Diepkloof Rock Shelter (DRS), from 70 to 74 ka bifaces and bifacial points are present while less complex forms such as backed artifacts occur from 70 ka through 60 ka and are subsequently replaced with unifacial points. Quartz and quartzite predominate the earliest unit with few occurrences of silcrete. During 70-74 ka unit, silcrete has replaced quartz while quartzite is still fairly dominant. From 65 to 70 ka quartz becomes dominant again with quartzite also being present.[6]
Some 270 fragments of ostrich eggshell containers have been found covered with engraved geometric patterns. The fragments have a maximum size of 20–30 mm, though a number have been fitted into larger 80 × 40 mm fragments. It is estimated that fragments from 25 containers have been found. Eggshell fragments have been found throughout the period of occupation of the cave but those with engraving are found only in several layers within theHowiesons Poort period. These occur across 18 stratigraphic units, particularly those with the stratigraphic names Frank and Darryl. This suggests the tradition of engraving lasted for several thousand years.[1]
The engraving consists of abstract linear repetitive patterns, including a hatched band motif. One fragment has two parallel lines that might have been circular around the container.
It has been suggested that they form "a system of symbolic representation in which collective identities and individual expressions are clearly communicated, suggesting social, cultural, and cognitive underpinnings that overlap with those of modern people."[1] Moreover, they show "the development of a graphic tradition and the complex use of symbols to mediate social interactions. The large number of marked pieces shows that there were rules for composing designs but having room within the rules to allow for individual and/or group preferences."[1]
Earlier finds exist of symbolism, such as the 75,000-year-old engraved ochre chunks found in theBlombos cave, but these are isolated and difficult to tell apart from meaningless doodles.[3]
The engravings are found on ostrich eggshells that were used as water containers. Ostrich eggshells have an average volume of 1 litre. They may have had drinking spouts, holes to enable them to be strung as acanteen for easier carrying, and seem to have been part of "dailyhunter-gatherer life".[1] They involved skill to make, with one of the researchers involved noting "Ostrich egg shells are quite hard. Doing such engravings is not so easy."[3]
The preservation of organic matter such as wood, grass, seeds and fruits at the site has been described as "exceptional".[2] Pollen remains allow the identification of the local animals and plants. The Howiesons Poort period shows evidence for thicket orshrubland vegetation now usually found in gorges, such asDiospyros,Cassine peragua,Maytenus,Rhus, andHartogiella schinoides.Afromontane trees found in the area, includeFicus,Kiggelaria africana,Podocarpus elongatus, andCeltis africana. This suggests a more diversely wooded riverine environment than now present in the area.[1]
Animal remains include those of mammals, tortoises andintertidal marine shells. Most bones found in the cave come fromrock hyrax,hares,cape dune mole-rats,steenbok andgrysbok. Animals from rocky environments are also found includingklipspringer, andvaalribbok. There is also evidence of local grasslands, with remains of zebras,wildebeest andhartebeest. Hippopotamus andsouthern reedbuck came from the local river. The sea coast seems to have moved up the river, as there are fragments fromblack mussels,granite limpets, andCape fur seals. Although there are ostrich-shell remains, no ostrich bones have been found.[1]
Tortoise bones are mostly those of theangulate tortoise that is still found in the area. These are noted to have been "remarkably large compared with their Late Stone Age counterparts, suggesting different intensities of predation between MSA and Late Stone Age populations".[1]
Diepkloof Rock Shelter was declared a provincial heritage site byHeritage Western Cape on 23 September 2014 in terms of Section 27 of the National Heritage Resources Act.[7] This gives the site Grade II status and provides it with protection under South African heritage law.
In 2015, the South African government submitted a proposal to add the caves to the list ofWorld Heritage Sites and it has been placed on the UNESCO list of tentative sites as a potential future 'serial nomination' together withBlombos Cave,Pinnacle Point,Klasies River Caves,Sibudu Cave andBorder Cave.[8] Three of the sites gained the World Heritage Status in 2024.[9]
