The Still Bay and Howiesons Poort, 77–59 ka

TLDR

Late Pleistocene Africa experienced rapid cultural change, exemplified by the early complex techno‑traditions of the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort. The study seeks to determine what drove the emergence of innovative practices between 77,000 and 59,000 years ago, focusing on cognitive evolution and brain organization. It analyzes recovered materials, hearths, spatial patterns, and brain‑cognitive changes to explain the rise and fall of these industries. The review concludes that Late Pleistocene innovations were linked to a prior expansion of higher association areas in the temporal and parietal cortices supporting theory of mind, perspective taking, and attentional flexibility.

Abstract

Variations in the material culture in Africa in the Late Pleistocene indicate that it was a period of rapid cultural change not previously observed in the Middle Stone Age. In southern Africa, two techno-traditions, the Still Bay and the Howiesons Poort, have raised interest because of their relatively early cultural complexity. What might have driven the development of the innovative practices and ideas between ca. 77,000 and 59,000 years ago? Explanations for the ascent and demise of these two entities must focus on analyses of recovered materials and in situ features such as hearths and spatial patterning. They must also consider whether these innovations are likely to have ensued from cognitive evolution in Homo sapiens and trace the changes in brain organization and cognitive functions that best explain them. This article presents an updated review of the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort industries and argues that innovations during the Late Pleistocene must be related to a previous expansion of the higher association areas of the temporal and parietal cortices underlying higher theory of mind, perspective taking, and attentional flexibility.