Cedarburg Workshop - Part Two - Hollow Rock Shelter

Continuing with our Cedarberg Exploration...

On our way to Hollow Rock Shelter

Every morning during the conference the group ( of 30+ archaeologists) would first go out on a quick trip to visit a local archaeological site of some significance, we would then be back and covered in sweat by 11am to start the morning talks, followed by lunch followed by a nap - aka the afternoon talks- in almost 40°C heat it was nearly impossible to stay awake sometimes. We had an evening talk after dinner on only the first day. Thereafter time was our own.

View across the farm on which Traveller's Rest is located

I will pause here to say that all these pictures (except from the last day) are courtesy of my office mate Emily, who is just back from England. Emily was in the final hair-tearing-out stages of finishing her Masters when I arrived in Cape Town. She has now started a PhD in Cambridge but is back here for a few months collecting data and doing her field work in the Cedarburg, nice for some. I realised sitting at my computer on the day of departure (sending off funding applications) that I had forgotten my camera! When I moaned about this Emily kindly loaned me one of her brand new cameras that she had gotten specifically for field work. Without her this blog would be a lot shorter and more boring!

The entrance to Hollow Rock Shelter. Emily (okay half of Emily)
 is on the left taking a picture with her other camera.

Day 1 (Saturday) saw us take a short drive followed by something of a boulder-strewn scrambled up a mountain to an archaeological locality called Hollow Rock Shelter.

The shelter is hidden under one the big boulders
 on the top of the hill

Boulder scramble

Almost there!

 As you can see from the images the shelter is a hollow space below a massive boulder with several runnels and entrances.

Looking through the entrance into the shelter

 A person has to craw to enter the space and its only 2 m at its highest point.

Close quarters inside the shelter

 In the 'roof' slightly to one side is a natural chimney, below which charcoal remains from ancient fires were discovered during excavations. 

The chimney

Taking a picture of someone taking a picture, but it
gives you an idea of  the relative position of the
 chimney over the fire pit (area where charcoal was recovered).

Hollow Rock Shelter was first discovered in the early 1990's. It was excavated by Lars Larson, among others. Lars himself was there to tell us about the site along with John Parkington, the head of the UCT archaeology department, who also played a role in the discovery and analysis of this site.

Lars Larson

 Hollow Rock Shelter is a Middle Stone Age site dated to around 80 000 - 72 000 years before present.

Nick Conard, Emily and Jess admiring some
 lithics (stone tools) in the shelter

The shelter contains numerous  projectile points and bifaces (stone tools) from the Still Bay Industry (The middle stone age can be broken into a number of archaeological 'industries' defined on a mixture of stone tools and other artifacts. These industries represent both a transition in time as well as a general sophistication of artifacts). 

Stone tools found in the shelter (I may get killed for saying
 this but I still think they are dreadfully dull!)

Stone tools found inside the shelter were better made than stone tools that were found on the rocky apron outside the cave entrance and Lars suggested that this might be the result of a teaching area. That the 'master' would sit inside the shelter and the students would practice outside.

Lithics found scattered on the hill top

Exploring the area around the shelter, there are many stone tools from early man scattered all around the rocks here. It became a standing joke cos I would be checking out the view and kept sitting on artifacts not noticing they were there! (Who cares about stone tools anyway?).

Typical archaeologists looking at the ground!

Enthusiasts even found time for a little rock climbing.

Jason showing us how its done!

A willing pupil

In time we returned to camp to start the first day's talks. 
The morning's talks were given by the Tubingen (Germany) contingent lead by Nick Conard on sites like Geelbek, Anyskop and Hoedjiespunt.

Some members of the German group and Cuan (UCT with the hat)
who happened to be in the wrong photo at the wrong time!

After lunch was a series of extremely fascinating  talks on Diepkloof Rock Shelter (pictures of this to follow) and Elands Bay Cave. Which were presented by the French and the remaining German contingents. 

Nap Time - Watching presentations and then having discussion sessions
afterwards. It was fascinating but often hard to stay awake in the heat.

Here is Guillaume Porraz (eye candy) telling us about Diepkloof 

My other office mate Katharine then had a give an evening talk before we could all relax and take it easy.

Archaeology students doing what we do best
(thats me on the right)

The adventures didnt end there though. Having retired early the night before I was now ready to stay up late talking rubbish (archaeology). The person I was sharing a chalet with (who will remain nameless in case she ever discovers this blog) went to bed earlier than me. When I eventually got back to my chalet it was to find that she had, for reasons that I will never be able to fathom, locked the door to the chalet - I was now locked out. This is a problem. So I start pounding on the door. After a good long while there is finally stirring from inside. This person snaps open the door, glares at me and proceeds to explain to me very angrily that she was sleeping (as in, how dare I wake her up!). I am thinking No-sh*t-Sherlock I would never have guessed that! Having said her piece she then stalks off back to bed, leaving me still standing on the doorstep. In her defense I dont think she was even properly awake, but what an attitude! Fortunately I was merry enough at this point to think all this rather funny. She apparently did not, as she continued to sulk with me for the rest of the trip apparently over waking her up in the middle of the night! When it was her own fault! Sigh some people! Soo all in all a great first day!
To be continued...