Handbook of Pleistocene Archaeology of Africa: Hominin behavior, geography, and chronology

This handbook provides a comprehensive compilation of Stone Age archaeological sites and methodological advancements across Africa, shedding light on hominin lifeways and biogeography during the Pleistocene Epoch. It aims to consolidate the African Stone Age record, showcase emerging research approaches, and serve as a valuable resource for teaching and research in African prehistory.

Format: Hardback
Length: 2146 pages
Publication date: 18 August 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This comprehensive handbook presents a comprehensive compendium of Stone Age archaeological sites across Africa, along with significant methodological advancements, which have significantly enhanced our understanding of hominin lifeways and biogeography within the continent. Spanning the Pleistocene Epoch (approximately 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago), this period witnessed the emergence of key human traits, including obligate bipedalism, which liberated the hands for creative activities, a large brain relative to body size, language, and social complexity. These traits are evident in the general forms they exist today.

As the first of its kind, this handbook is poised to play a pivotal role in human evolutionary research. It aims to:

• Collate the fragmented African Stone Age record, which is dispersed along national boundaries and influenced by colonial experiences.
• Showcase emerging conceptual and methodological advancements in African Pleistocene archaeology.
• Serve as a valuable resource for teaching and research in African prehistory, particularly for researchers and students in Africa who may not have access to journal publications where most new field discoveries are published.

The handbook is organized into 128 chapters, with 116 chapters dedicated to site entries. These entries are arranged alphabetically by host countries and include multiple archaeological localities that are part of specific projects or study areas. The remaining chapters focus on methodological topics such as luminescence and radiocarbon dating, field data recovery, lithic analysis, micromorphology, and hominin fossil and zooarchaeological records from Pleistocene Africa.

In the introductory chapter, the authors provide a historical overview of the development of Stone Age (Paleolithic) archaeology in Africa, tracing its roots from the early discoveries in the late 19th century to the present day. The chapter highlights the contributions of pioneering archaeologists, the challenges faced in fieldwork, and the significant advancements in analytical techniques and technologies that have contributed to our understanding of African prehistory.

Overall, this handbook is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and students interested in African prehistory, archaeology, and human evolution. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the African Stone Age record, showcases innovative methodologies, and promotes accessibility to the field for researchers and students based in Africa.

Weight: 4277g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031202896
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023