Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal: Background to the excavations of Middle Stone Age and Iron Age occupations

Sibudu Cave excavations have yielded an Iron Age occupation directly overlying a long sequence of final Middle Stone Age (MSA) layers dating c. 61 000-26 000 years ago. Older, undated layers contain a Howiesons Poort Industry. A diverse animal population is represented in the final MSA. Proxy environmental data suggest cooler, drier conditions with a larger savanna component to the vegetation than at present.