This site was first excavated in 1983 by Aron Mazel of the Natal Museum, (now the KwaZulu-Natal Museum) in Pietermaritzburg. The Iron Age excavation was not extensive but Mazel noted that the uppermost layers contained both Middle Stone Age (MSA) stone artefacts and Late Iron Age pottery, while the layers below (approximately 30 cm) only contained MSA material).
Excavations only restarted in the late 1990s. Between 1998 and 2011 Prof. Lyn Wadley led a team from the University of the Witwatersrand, during which a number of breakthrough findings were made, and several papers published, which put Sibhudu Cave firmly on the list of significant archaeological sites in the country.
In 2011, Wadley handed over the direction of the excavation to Prof. Nicholas Conard of the University of Tübingen, Germany, who is still excavating the site on an annual basis.
The significance of Sibhudu Cave lies in its comprehensive Middle Stone Age record and occupational history well dated to between about 100 000 and 38 000 years ago. Studies at Sibhudu Cave have made a significant contribution towards the understanding of human evolutionary history and the development of modern human behaviour.
According to geoarchaeologists, the remarkable preservation of sediments at Sibhudu Cave is amongst the best in the world and has allowed for the detailed identification of behavioural moments in time. Similarly, the exceptional organic preservation at the site allowed for the recovery of a variety of rare organic cultural and environmental remains, which have been able to shed light both on the development of modern human behaviour and on the environment inhabited by our ancestors while using the Cave as dwelling.
Sibhudu Cave carries evidence of the use of personal ornamentation for the first time in southern Africa and Africa through the use of shell beads. The use of these beads implies that Middle Stone Age people specifically chose and modify shells belonging to specific species to use for body decoration and ornamentation, which is one clear expression of symbolic behaviour.
Additionally, Sibhudu Cave has a rare collection of bone tools dating between at least 77 000 and 62 000 years ago and it has also produced one of the world’s oldest bone arrowheads. The funding of an arrowhead implies the use of the bow and arrow, which in turns is evidence of the skilful knowledge of hafting and it is useful to increase hunting success rate and reduce the extent of injuries caused by close hunting encounters.
Hafting is necessary to ensure that the point is adequately connected to the wood or bone shaft and therefore demonstrates the ability of our ancestors at Sibhudu Cave to multi-task and think abstractly. Similarly to hafting, the production of formal tools during the MSA is one of the main indicators of the development of modern human behaviour.
Sibhudu Cave also displays extensive use of ochre, which is a soft stone used to produce a colourful powder to be used both for symbolic and functional purposes. While we cannot be certain of the symbolic use of ochre, we know that the powder was used at Sibhudu Cave functionally on hides and as one of the components for hafting. Additionally, the presence of some engraved pieces of ochre is considered a very clear example of symbolically mediated modern human behaviour.
Lastly, Sibhudu Cave has evidence of one of the world’s oldest bedding made from sedges, grass, and leaves. The leaves, when crushed, are aromatic and contain specific chemicals which have insecticidal and larvicidal properties, making them ideal to use for bedding. Furthermore, from at least 73 000 years ago, we have increasing evidence of bedding being burnt, presumably for site maintenance.
Overall the suite of evidence from Sibhudu Cave places the site as one of the most significant in South Africa and in the world to understand the development of modern human behaviour and the history of our common ancestor.
While the site is currently not open to the public, plans are being developed to ensure that the public will be able to access the site either digitally or physically in the not so far future, contributing therefore to boost the local economy and fostering social cohesion.
For more information visit The KwaZulu-Natal Amafa and Research Institute (The Institute)
