The Evolutionary Implications of Variation in Human Hunting Strategies and Diet Breadth during the Middle Stone Age of Southern Africa

In this paper, we analyze faunal data from southern Africa in order to explore the nature and extent of variability in human hunting strategies and diet breadth during the Middle Stone Age (MSA). Our analysis incorporates data from eight sites that span marine isotope stages (MIS) 6--3 (approximate to approximate to 170--40 ka). The sample includes both coastal and inland sites; while it primarily derives from cave and rock shelter contexts (Blombos, Die Kelders, Diepkloof, Klasies River, Pinnacle Point, Sibudu, and Ysterfontein), we also include one open-air site (Florisbad). The data indicate marked changes in subsistence over timeof particular note is a spike in the exploitation of small ungulates and other small mammals during MIS 4. Trends in shellfish utilization also suggest an increasing dietary breadth over time, although shellfish consistently represent only a small portion of the overall diet. We close with a discussion of several causal mechanisms (environment, demography, technology, and cognition) that could account for the patterning evidenced in the data. While environmental change appears to play an important role in shaping the character of the data, we argue that no single causal factor can account for the full range of variability.