Fields of study

Caves are often sources for palaeonvironmental information in the arid interior regions of southern Africa. The Wonderwerk Cave, located in the Northern Cape, is a national heritage site that has remarkably preserved a complete record of the local Holocene LSA techno-complexes, along with different past environment indicators. Hence, it has the potential to provide valuable insights into past hominins behavior as well as the local palaeoclimate and vegetation. My study examined wood charcoal from stratum 4b, Excavation 1 of the Wonderwerk Cave. The aim was to evaluate the taxonomic composition and the internal anatomy of the charcoal to understand the environment around the cave 6.9-5.9 ka. The study also investigated the modern uses of the vegetation, to infer how humans may have utilized the woody plants around them during that period. The results indicate the landscape was mainly covered by woody plants adapted to dry conditions and summer rainfall. However, the archaeological taxa included two species that thrive in moist environments, Halleria lucida and Olinia ventosa, suggesting fluctuations in climate. The occurrence of a high proportion of bushveld taxa indicates that a bushveld similar to the modern savanna in the vicinity of the cave existed about 6.9 ka. The low conductivity capacity as well as vulnerability and mesomorphy indices also suggest that the vegetation was adapted to low water availability or aridity. The plants identified are used for various purposes such as kindling fires, fuel, construction, as well as magical and medicinal uses. These uses could have also been relevant to people living in the cave between 6.9 and 5.9 ka.