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Filling the void: a study of sites characterized by levallois and blade technologies in the Kilwa basin, coastal Tanzania
(Springer Nature, 2020) Beyin, Amanuel; Ryano, Kokeli Peter
Despite East Africa’s vital contribution to our understanding of human evolution, there exists a major knowledge gap concerning hominin occupation of its coastal peripheries along the Indian Ocean. This paper presents the results of a recent archaeological survey in the Kilwa basin, coastal Tanzania. The survey documented two sites, namely, Mnaraeka and Mapimbi that revealed lithic assemblages featuring recurrent centripetal Levallois and blade technologies. Although absolute chronological references for the sites have yet to be established, the lithic finds characteristically fit to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) technocomplex. The inhabitants targeted locally available stone raw materials such as quartzite, quartz, and chert. The technological strategies identified in the Kilwa basin are common at inland MSA sites across eastern and southern Africa, suggesting that the coastal ecozone may have been regularly exploited by hominins that possessed versatile technologies to adapt to diverse eastern African landscapes. Our finds lay a foundational step for future interdisciplinary research in the Kilwa basin and other parts of the East African coast.