Human remains from Blombos Cave, South Africa: (1997-1998 excavations)

The Middle Stone Age (MSA) layers at Blombos Cave contain abundant bifacial Still Bay points, formal and ad hoc bone artefacts, and an intentionally incised bone piece. These artefacts add weight to arguments that some aspects of modern human behavior developed earlier in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere. Four human teeth were recovered from the MSA strata at Blombos during the 1997-1998 excavations. Two are heavily worn deciduous teeth, and two are incomplete permanent premolar crowns. The Blombos di¹ is comparatively large in relation to modern African homologues, falling within the lower part of the observed Neandertal range. The dm¹ and P³ are comparable to modern teeth and smaller than most Neandertal crowns. The premolars preserve horizontal circum-cervical striae that suggest palliative toothpick use. The di¹ evinces labial scratches that resemble neither the 'cutmarks' that have been observed on Neandertal incisors, nor the striae that have been recorded on modern human teeth. (C) 2000 Academic Press.