3. Fossil Man in the Lebombo Mountains, South Africa: The 'Border Cave,' Ingwavuma District, Zululand

Abstract

In 1940, while digging for guano in the cave, there were found "portions of human limb bones and a nearly complete human frontal bone of very distinctive character". Later a "human parietal fragment which articulated with the frontal bone" was found. In 1941-42 the authors carried on the work. The talus of previous digging (going back to 1934) was sifted and further excavation was carried on. The artifacts associated with the bones "show a mastery of the Levallois technique and must be ascribed to the Middle Stone Age of Africa", specifically the "Petersburg Culture". The fauna is also Middle Stone Age. The human remains recovered comprise (1) the partial cranium of a 30-yr.-old adult plus "many other adult skeletons exhumed during (the 1940) operations;" (2) the skeleton of a 3-months-old infant. The authors accept the temporal association of the bones with the artifacts and fauna. The adult cranium is "morphologically . . . quite distinct from both the South African Negro and the Bushman Type". Dimensions are estimated: L = 195-200 mm., B = 140-142 mm., ba-br H = 115 mm., cap. (Lee-Pearson) = 1450 cc. There are portions of the shafts of femora and tibiae. They are robust. Femoral L was probably 460-480 mm. There is platymeria (index 77.4) and pilastery (index 128.0). The adult skull is hence to be known as the Ingwavuma Skull. The authors conclude that it is somehow related to the Springbok Flats-Fish Hoek group and the Florisbad type.