Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago

Authors

Eugene Smith, University of Nevada
Zenobia Jacobs, University of WollongongFollow
Racheal Johnsen, University of Nevada
Minghua Ren, University of Nevada
Erich C. Fisher, Arizona State UniversityFollow
Simen Oestmo, Arizona State University
Jayne Wilkins, University of Cape Town
Jacob Harris, Arizona State University
Panagiotis Karkanas, Ephoreia of Palaeoanthropology - Speleology of Southern Greece, American School of Classical Studies
Shelby Fitch, University of Nevada
Amber Ciravolo, University of Nevada
Deborah Keenan, Geoscience Consultants
Naomi Cleghorn, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, University of Texas at Arlington
Christine Lane, University of Cambridge, University of OxfordFollow
T Matthews, Iziko South African MuseumFollow
Curtis W. Marean, Arizona State University, University of Cape TownFollow

RIS ID

124989

Publication Details

Smith, E. I., Jacobs, Z., Johnsen, R., Ren, M., Fisher, E. C., Oestmo, S., Wilkins, J., Harris, J. A., Karkanas, P., Fitch, S., Ciravolo, A., Keenan, D., Cleghorn, N., Lane, C. S., Matthews, T. & Marean, C. W. (2018). Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago. Nature, 555 (7697), 511-515.

Abstract

Approximately 74 thousand years ago (ka), the Toba caldera erupted in Sumatra. Since the magnitude of this eruption was first established, its effects on climate, environment and humans have been debated1. Here we describe the discovery of microscopic glass shards characteristic of the Youngest Toba Tuff-ashfall from the Toba eruption-in two archaeological sites on the south coast of South Africa, a region in which there is evidence for early human behavioural complexity. An independently derived dating model supports a date of approximately 74 ka for the sediments containing the Youngest Toba Tuff glass shards. By defining the input of shards at both sites, which are located nine kilometres apart, we are able to establish a close temporal correlation between them. Our high-resolution excavation and sampling technique enable exact comparisons between the input of Youngest Toba Tuff glass shards and the evidence for human occupation. Humans in this region thrived through the Toba event and the ensuing full glacial conditions, perhaps as a combined result of the uniquely rich resource base of the region and fully evolved modern human adaptation.

Grant Number

ARC/DP1092843