Chipped stone microliths from Lakaton'i Anja. Image: PNAS
Posted on 08/16/2013 1:39:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
This foraging occupation of one site effectively doubles and confirms the length of Madagascar’s known occupational history and thus the time during which people exploited its environments.
The rock shelter yielded a stratified assemblage with small flakes, microblades, and retouched crescentic and trapezoidal tools, probably projectile elements, made from cherts and obsidian, some brought more that 200 km.
The assemblage from the top layers of the site is well dated to 1050–1350 A.D. This was achieved using carbon dating and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), as well as ceramic typology imported from the Near East and China.
Below this layer is a series of stratified assemblages with carbon dating and OSL indicating occupation from at least 2000 B.C.
Faunal remains reveal a foraging pattern of hunting parties active in Madagascar long before the arrival of farmers and herders and before many Late Holocene faunal extinctions...
The unique evidence collected by the researchers regarding extinction of mega fauna, such as gorilla sized Lemurs, shows that this occurred long after initial human arrival on the island and although later activities were clearly involved, the specific causes and pattern remain to be fully understood.
More generally, the view that Madagascar’s history can be sharply divided by the arrival of humans between an undisturbed Eden and anthropogenic disaster is no longer tenable.
(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...
Chipped stone microliths from Lakaton'i Anja. Image: PNAS
because stones never ever get chipped in nature?
The specific fracture patterns created by pressure flaking, no.
or rocks falling or being stepped on by an elephant, mammoth or being hit by a falling tree/boulder
This was at Madagascar? Who knew the Capitol of Wisconsin was so old?
Interesting!
Because there are people who actually study knapping in order to recognize the difference.
Humans settled, set fire to Madagascar’s forests 1,000 years ago
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/miot-hss021816.php
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