2.1. Die Kelders 1 Cave

Die Kelders 1 Cave was first excavated between 1969 and 1972 [23] and again between 1992 and 1995 [24,25]. Strata include both Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) deposits. The LSA deposits are in Layer 1 and are stratified in 12 subunits. Note that in some publications subunit 12 of Layer 1 is referred to as LSA Layer 12, and should not be confused with the MSA-bearing Layer 12. Ceramics are abundantly present in both subunit 12, the oldest of the LSA layers, and in subunit 2. Analyses of the sherds show that the ceramics recovered from these two subunits are significantly different from each other [24]. Unfortunately, too few sherds have been recovered from the intervening layers to reveal the rapidity of the change in ceramic technology. Sheep were recovered from Layer 1, subunit 2 (LSA Layer 2) and later subjected to ancient DNA analyses which reveals them to be very much like the other African sheep for which we have genetic data [26].

A single radiocarbon determination was has been reported from Layer 1, subunit 12 (LSA Layer 12), which calibrates to between 136 BC and AD 334 [GX-1688, 2 s.d., 23, SHCal13 radiocarbon curve, [27]. Four radiocarbon determinations have been reported from Layer 1, subunit 2 (LSA Layer 2), but Schweitzer, the original excavator reports that two of the dated samples (Gak3877 and 3878) were not recovered in situ and should therefore not be considered reliable indicators of the age of subunit 2 [28]. The other two determinations however (GX-1685 and GaK-3955) calibrate, at two standard deviations, to AD 412–857 and AD 215–756 [27,28].

Six potential cattle specimens from Layer 1, subunit 2 (LSA Layer 2), and one from Layer 1, subunit 12 (LSA Layer 12), were selected for ancient DNA analyses, and a specimen from Layer 1, subunit 2 (LSA Layer 2) was directly AMS dated. Morphological and stratigraphic details of each specimen can be found in Table 1.

Morphological and stratigraphic details of analyzed specimens.