New Archaeological Excavation of Sonstraal 1 on the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Northern Cape

The requested permit will allow for excavations Earlier and Middle Stone Age deposits at the site of Sonstraal 1 on the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve south of the Van Zylsrus municipality in the Northern Cape. These excavations will help understand the role environment played in the development of key behavioural adaptations in early human populations. Excavations at other sites on Tswalu (Witberg 1, Ratel Pan, and Tshkudu) Pan) have identified a high-density MSA occupation, but this is the first in situ Acheulean site in the area, and one of only a few sealed Acheulean open-air deposits in southern Africa. Limited excavations (2019-2022) identified an intact Acheulean deposit that is dated by OSL to >450 ka and ESR to ~1.1 Ma. The proposed fieldwork at Sonstraal 1 will refine the chronology with paleomagnetic dating, extend the excavated sequence both above and below the previous excavation, and expand the range of well-excavated and dated Earlier Stone Age deposits into the arid interior, where comparatively less archaeological research has been conducted. Additionally, the site is currently under threat from "calcrete" mining and listed as an active mine, salvaging as much information about the deposit as possible before the site is removed from quarrying activity is a priority. Archaeological Excavations are proposed on the Sonstraal Farm (Zonnestraal 249 farm), Northern Cape, South Africa.