Space, material culture and meaning in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene at Rose Cave Cottage

[摘要] This study, based on material excavated at Rose Cottage Cave,presents a new theoretical perspective for our understanding of thesouthern African archaeological record dated to the PleistocenelHolocene boundary. Over the past twelve years, : NO contestingmodels for interpreting the Pleistocene! Holocene boundary havebeen proposed - it has been described as a period of culturalstasis, on the one hand, or, as exhibiting continuous change, on theother hand. This study departs from the position that this debate isat a theoretical impasse.Through the assumption of a theoretical framework that dealsconcurrently with cultural representation and social strategy,previously unrecognised aspects of the archaeological record areinvestigated. t explore the r-ctlve constitutive role of material cultureand thus remove the false dichotomy between cultural form andfunctional expediency. In allowing for the active role of humanagency, a model for the interpretation of spatial use is developer,through the incorporation of the informative and constraining role ofprevious spatial patternings. I recognise that meaning is activelycreated, and exarnple the spatially and chronolcqlcatlv contingentnature of meaning through the unique perspective that deepsequence archaeological deposit offers.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand