Abstract
The period 14 to 8 ka, spans the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. It aligns with the
Oakhurst technocomplex, which records extensive coastal to inland exchange
networks in southern Africa, and extensive group mobility. The people conducted a
range of diverse subsistence activities, and have a mastery of different crafts and
technologies. The challenge is these perishable items for the Oakhurst have yet to
be excavated. Additionally, there has yet to be a dedicated techno-functional study of
worked bone from this period. Many studies on other periods have shown that
worked bone has unique production techniques and uses. Bone technology can
provide an additional line of evidence to the lithic assemblages and is often linked to
the production of perishable technologies, such as leather working. To address the
gap in information on the production and use of bone technology, I used a debitage,
technological and usewear analysis to explore Oakhurst worked bone from
Grassridge Rockshelter, Jubilee Shelter, Rose Cottage Cave and Nelson Bay Cave.
My project begins the process of understanding the continuities and discontinuities in
bone technology from 14 to 8 ka. My results suggest people from this period were
fluidly selecting elements for use, and reducing the bone to workable sections for
shaping by splitting complete elements, such as metapodia, or removing the
epiphyses to create longitudinal slivers of diaphysis. The Oakhurst manufacturing
preferences for tools tend towards prioritising function over style or decoration, which
differs to the limited studies on worked bone from the last two thousand years. The
usewear contacts from the four sites include leather, handling, wood, skin, cord, and
plant. The contacts provide a proxy for tanning, leather working and plant working,
as well as the use of minimally modified bone beads. The usewear highlights the
considerable amount of time dedicated to processing and production from 14 to 8 ka
and adds to our understanding of people’s activities during the Oakhurst.