Human burials at the Kisese II rockshelter, Tanzania

Datos Bibliográficos

ID8319922
AutoresM F Laird (0000-0002-8636-0407, Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences University of Southern California Los Angeles California USA, autor de correspondencia), E A Sawchuk (0000-0003-4398-2174, University of Alberta), Amandus Kwekason (National Museums of Tanzania Dar es Salaam Tanzania), Audax Mabulla (0000-0001-9591-5497, University of Dar es Salaam), Audax Z P Mabulla (Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies University of Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Tanzania), Emmanuel Ndiema (0000-0002-1335-2924, Department of Earth Sciences National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya), Christian Tryon (0000-0002-2354-3273, Smithsonian Institution), Christian A Tryon (Department of Anthropology University of Connecticut 354 Mansfield Road, Storrs CT USA), Jason E Lewis (0009-0001-4785-2011, Department of Anthropology Stony Brook University Stony Brook New York USA), Jason Lewis (0000-0001-8325-1128, Stony Brook University), Kathryn L Ranhorn (0000-0002-9048-5966, Institute of Human Origins School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona USA)
Año2021
Volumen175
Número1
Páginas187-200
Fecha de publicación2021-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.24253
PMID33615431
OpenAlexW3129684189
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas86

OBJECTIVES: The Late Pleistocene and early Holocene in eastern Africa are associated with complex evolutionary and demographic processes that contributed to the population variability observed in the region today. However, there are relatively few human skeletal remains from this time period. Here we describe six individuals from the Kisese II rockshelter in Tanzania that were excavated in 1956, present a radiocarbon date for one of the individuals, and compare craniodental morphological diversity among eastern African populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used standard biometric analyses to assess the age, sex, and stature of the Kisese II individuals. Eastern African craniodental morphological variation was assessed using measures of dental size and a subset of Howells' cranial measurements for the Kisese II individuals as well as early Holocene, early pastoralist, Pastoral Neolithic, and modern African individuals. RESULTS: Our results suggest a minimum of six individuals from the Kisese II collections with two adults and four juveniles. While the dating for most of the burials is uncertain, one individual is directly radiocarbon dated to ~7.1 ka indicating that at least one burial is early Holocene in age. Craniodental metric comparisons indicate that the Kisese II individuals extend the amount of human morphological diversity among Holocene eastern Africans. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that Late Pleistocene and early Holocene eastern Africans exhibited relatively high amounts of morphological diversity. However, the Kisese II individuals suggest morphological similarity at localized sites potentially supporting increased regionalization during the early Holocene

Archaeological record · Archaeology · Biology · Geography · Holocene · Livestock · Pastoralism · Pleistocene · Population · Radiocarbon dating · Tanzania · Demography · Ecology · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Primate Behavior and Ecology