A Chronological Perspective on the Acheulian and Its Transition to the Middle Stone Age in Southern Africa: The Question of the Fauresmith

Table 1

Age ranges for Acheulian, Fauresmith. Sangoan, and early MSA sites mentioned in the text.

Country	Locality	Site/layers	Dating methods	Upper age	Lower age	Best age estimate	Industry	Hominin association
Kenya	Nachukui Formation, West Turkana	KS4	Ar-Ar		>1.65 Ma	~1.65 Ma	Acheulian
Ethiopia	Konso Gardula	KGA	Ar-Ar	1.69 Ma	1.41 Ma	~1.5 Ma	Acheulian
Tanzania	Olduvai Gorge	Upper Bed II	K-Ar-Ar/Palaeomag.	1.53 Ma	1.27 Ma	1.5-1.3 Ma	Acheulian
S. Africa	Reitpuits Formation [23], Vaal River	CBD	Cosmogenics	2.08 Ma	1.08 Ma	1.4–1.2 Ma	Acheulian
S. Africa	Canteen Kopjie	Stratum 2b lower	Cosmogenics	1.61 Ma	0.82 Ma	<1.6–>0.8 Ma	Acheulian?
S. Africa	Wondwerwerk Cave	Excavation 1	Pmag.	1.78 Ma	0.78 Ma	<1.6–>1.1 Ma	Acheulian
S. Africa	Swartkrans	Member 2	Fauna/U-Pb [bone]	1.65 Ma	1.07 Ma	1.6–1.1 Ma	Acheulian	H. ergaster
S. Africa	Sterkfontein	Member 5c	Pmag/ESR	1.39 Ma	0.82 Ma	1.4–1.1 Ma	Acheulian	H. ergaster
S. Africa	Cornelia	Uitzoek	Pmag/fauna	1.07 Ma	0.78 Ma	1.1–0.8 Ma	Acheulian	early Homo
S. Africa	Elandsfontein	all	Pmag/Fauna	1.07 Ma	0.78 Ma	1.1–0.8 Ma	Acheulian	H. erectus/H. rhodesiensis
S. Africa	Swartkrans	Member 3	Fauna/U-Pb [bone]	1.04 Ma	0.62 Ma	1.0–0.6 Ma	Acheulian	early Homo
S. Africa	Gladysvale	internal	P-mag/ESR	<990 ka	>780 ka	~800 ka	Acheulian
S. Africa	Cave of Hearths	Bed 1–3	P-Mag	<780 ka	400 ka	670–560 ka	Acheulian	H. rhodesiensis
S. Africa	Kathu Pan	STR4a	ESR/OSL	647 ka	435 ka	540–470 ka	Fauresmith
Kenya	Wethwerill's and Cartwright's sites		K-Ar	<557 ka	>440 ka	?	Pseudo-Stillbay
Kenya	Kapthurin Formation	K3	Ar-Ar	548 ka	500 ka	548–500 ka	Acheulian
Kenya	Kapthurin Formation	K4	Ar-Ar	<518 ka	>272 ka	<518 ka	Acheulian with points
Kenya	Kapthurin Formation	K4 (Rorop Lingop)	Ar-Ar	<518 ka	>272 ka	>272 ka	Acheulian/MSA/Sangoan/ Fauresmith
S. Africa	Bundu Farm	G4–6	ESR/Fauna	>394 ka	~200 ka		Fauresmith
S. Africa	Rooidam 2	Unit to G	U-Th	?	>154 ka	>154 ka	Acheulian
Sudan	Sai Island	YG	OSL	?	>204 ka	>204 ka	Acheulian
S. Africa	Rooidam 2	Unit A-B	U-Th	>154 ka	?		Fauresmith
S. Africa	Kathu Pan	STR3	OSL	336 ka	254 ka	336–254 ka	MSA
S. Africa	Wonderwerk Cave	Excavation 2, 6	U-Th	315 ka	<195  ka	315–<195 ka	Fauresmith
Kenya	Kapthurin Formation	Koimillot	stratigraphy	<296 ka	<237 ka	250–200 ka	MSA
S. Africa	Florisbad	Peat 1	ESR/OSL	295 ka	225 ka	295–225 ka	MSA	H. helmei
S. Africa	Sterkfontein	M6/post M6	ESR	294 ka	210 ka	294–210 ka	MSA	archaic H. sapiens
S. Africa	Lincoln Cave	south/north	U-Th	278 ka	107 ka	278–107 ka	MSA	H. ergaster?
Ethiopia	Gademotta Formation	Type site Unit 9	Ar-Ar	?	>272 ka	~280 ka	MSA
Ethiopia	Gademotta Formation	Kulkuletti	Ar-Ar	?	>272 ka	~280 ka	MSA
Zambia	Twin Rivers (Zambia)	Block A	U-Th	<266 ka	<132 ka	<132 ka	MSA (Lupemban)
Ethiopia	Gademotta Formation	Unit 11	Ar-Ar	<280 ka	>173 ka	280–173 ka	MSA
Sudan	Sai Island	BLG/TLG/UG	OSL	<243 ka	>142 ka	200–160 ka	Sangoan
S. Africa	Border Cave	6BS	ESR	238 ka	217 ka	238–217 ka	MSA
Zambia	Kalambo Falls	Acheulian Layers	U-Th/AAR	>198 ka	>166 ka	>166 ka	Acheulian
S. Africa	Twin Rivers	Block F	U-Th	>195 ka	<140 ka	<140 ka	MSA (Lupemban)
S. Africa	Border Cave	5BS/5WA	ESR/AAR	183 ka	141 ka	183–141 ka	MSA	H. sapiens?
S. Africa	Wonderwerk Cave	Excavation 2, 3, 5	U-Th	182 ka	118 ka	182–118 ka	MSA
S. Africa	Pinnacle Point 13B	LC-MSA Lower	OSL	174 ka	153 ka	~164 ka	MSA	H. sapiens?
Ethiopia	Bouri Formation	Upper Herto Member	Ar-Ar	166 ka	147 ka	166–147	MSA	H. sapiens
S. Africa	Pinnacle Point	DB Sand 4b	OSL	166 ka	152 ka	166–152 ka	MSA	H. sapiens?
S. Africa	Bundu farm	G2-3	ESR/Fauna	162 ka	130 ka	162–130 ka	MSA
Sudan	Sai Island	Nile silts	OSL	<162 ka	?	<162 ka	Lupemban-Like MSA
Zambia	Kalambo Falls	Floor 4	U-Th	>85 ka	>65 ka	>65 ka	Sangoan
S. Africa	Pinnacle Point 13B	LC-MSA Middle/Upper	OSL/U-Th	130 ka	115 ka	130–115 ka	MSA	H. sapiens?
Kenya	Central Rift (Kapedo)	Kapedo Tuffs	Ar-Ar	135 ka	120 ka	135–120 ka	MSA
Eritrea	Abdur			132 ka	118 ka	125–118 ka	MSA with LCTs
S. Africa	Klasies River Mouth	LBS	OSL	120 ka	90 ka	120–90 ka	MSA	H. sapiens
S. Africa	Border Cave	4WA	ESR/AAR	122 ka	111 ka	122–111 ka	MSA	H. sapiens
S. Africa	Swartkrans	Member 4	U-Th	?	<108 ka	<108 ka	MSA
S. AfricA	Twin Rivers	Block G	TL	<117 ka	48 ka	117–48 ka	MSA
S. Africa	Pinnacle Point 13B	Western Excavation	OSL/U-Th	114 ka	91 ka	114–91 ka	MSA	H. sapiens?
Kenya	Malewa Gorge	Malewa Gorge	Ar-Ar	?	>86 ka	~118–86 ka	MSA