Discovery of Middle Pleistocene fossil and stone tool-bearing deposits at Groot Kloof, Ghaap escarpment, Northern Cape province

摘要: We report the discovery of a major fossil-bearing and archaeological complex karstic deposits at Groot Kloof in escarpment Ghaap Plateau, around 100 km southwest Taung. The region is known for open fluvial lacustrine sites sampling Lower Middle Pleistocene tool types long, but discontinuous sequence ofWonderwerk Cave. Research at Kloof has concentrated on two four localities. One locality yielded fossils from Florisian Land Mammal Age lithics that may sample late Early Stone Age/early type industry. The second been dated using U-Th to 248 lUg+l/Ug 37 kyr ago fossil-bearing tufa, normal magnetic polarity various tufa breccia. occurrence embedded within tufa rather than infilling cavity is unusual. Small pockets Later Age artefact-bearing breccia rock art also occur. significance underscored by current debate about emergence modern humans which appearance behaviour posited have occurred inthis other regions during this part Pleistocene.