Middle Stone Age
Middle Stone Age (short: MSA; German: Middle Stone Age ) is the English name used in German for the period of African Prehistory between Early Stone Age and Later Stone Age. The period corresponds to the European Middle Palaeolithic and not the so- called in about only in Europe north of the Alps, much younger Mesolithic.
Definition and temporal delimitation
The threefold division of the African Stone Age was first formulated in 1929 by AJH Goodwin and C. van Riet lion, in the strict sense for South Africa. Later, the term was extended to East Africa and is now common for large parts of Africa. Compared to the Early Stone Age missing for the typical bifaces. Microlithic tool shapes that characterize the Later Stone Age, however, are not yet available. When characterizing technological feature, the authors highlight the faceting of the clubface remains and producing top -shaped haircuts. Key forms of MSA are modified tips. The sequence " Glen Grey Industry ", " Pietersburg variation ", " Still Bay Industry" and " Howieson 's Poort variation " They looked at as a development series, but which is considered obsolete today.
There is the beginning of the Middle Stone Age different definitions: When completed in the modern understanding demarcation of the beginning of the Levallois it starts about 300,000 years ago, in the traditional sense with the Upper Pleistocene 130,000 years ago. The transition from the Acheulian industries of the Early Stone Age to the MSA is especially in the Middle - Awash Basin ( Middle Awash ) in Ethiopia and in the Olorgesailie lineup in Kenya archaeologically tangible. The MSA ended about 50,000 years ago with the transition to microlithic blade industries of the Later Stone Age.
Regional Industries
Today there are various regional industries of the MSA in Africa, such as the Aterian in Morocco and Algeria, in the territory of the Atlas Mountains and the northern Sahara. It is characterized by bifaziell retouched points, which are stalked in part. The industry is associated with anatomically modern humans.
Other regional characteristics are the Lupemban industry (Zaire), the Bambata industry (Zimbabwe ) and the Pietersburg industry and Howieson 's Poort industry ( South Africa).
The late Howieson 's Poort industry already contains rückengestumpfte blades and therefore has parallels to the earliest Upper Paleolithic industries of the Levant on how the local pre- Aurignacian and Amudien.
Localities
- Apollo 11 cave (Namibia)
- Howieson 's Poort Shelter (South Africa)
- Blombos Cave (South Africa)
- Sibudu Cave ( KwaZulu -Natal, South Africa)