GA-MOHANA HILL SOUTH ROCK SHELTER: A LATE HOLOCENE HUNTER-GATHERER ROCK SHELTER SITE IN THE SOUTHERN KALAHARI BASIN.

The Holocene period in southern Africa holds a diverse and valuable archaeological record that sheds light on the hunter-gatherer culture and their adaptation strategies. Of particular interest is the southern Kalahari Basin, an ecotone region transitioning from subtropical savannah to the semi-arid savannah of the Kalahari Desert. Within this context, several Holocene archaeological sites in the southern Kalahari Basin offer detailed palaeoenvironmental information that directly relates to the archaeological record. However, despite the informative nature of these sites, inconsistencies remain regarding the timing of wet phases that have yet to be fully understood. In this study, we present the findings from the first excavations at Ga-Mohana Hill South Rock Shelter in the southern Kalahari Basin. The site reveals an intact Later Stone Age (LSA) deposit, radiocarbon dated using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to 2730-2490 cal BP. This timeframe roughly corresponds to a period of tufa formation at Ga-Mohana Hill, estimated at 3.0±0.9 ka. These results indicate wetter conditions than the present, with seasonal water flow down the rock shelter's sides. The significance of Ga-Mohana Hill South Rock Shelter as a new Late Holocene hunter-gatherer site lies in its contribution to the broader investigation of hunter-gatherer landscape utilisation and adaptation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]