Palaeoart on South Africa's Cape south coast

The Cape south coast of South Africa contains a rich Middle Stone Age archaeological record, and was of pivotal importance in the emergence of modern humans. The documented palaeoart (engravings and a drawing) of the region, from Blombos Cave and Pinnacle Point, has achieved international renown. Fortuitously, the dune and beach surfaces on which these humans travelled are preserved as aeolianites and cemented foreshore deposits. They provide a record of what transpired on them, including the tracks of humans. Our research suggests that these surfaces contain other records of human activity, which may represent palaeoart, messaging, or foraging. These patterns are amenable to our documentation and interpretation. They include a large circle, the `hashtag' pattern, a radial pattern, a fan-shaped pattern, sub-parallel grooves, and a possible three-dimensional representational image. We have coined the term `ammoglyph' to describe them. We anticipate that the rock samples we have taken will yield age dates between 70,000 and 150,000 years, based on local stratigraphy and chronology. In the past, sand has been regarded as perishable, compared to other media on which palaeoart could have been recorded, such as rock, shell and bone. In contrast, we suggest that sand constituted a hitherto undocumented canvas for artistic expression by early humans, and that appreciation of this record may enable a new global understanding of palaeoart. Furthermore, these discoveries may buttress the role of the Cape south coast in the emergence of cognitive modernity.