Morris Sutton

University of the Witwatersrand, Archaeology Division, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, Department Member

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Andrei Dorian Soficaru

Institutul de Antropologie “Francisc J. Rainer”

Oludamini Ogunnaike

University of Virginia

Karen Ruebens

University of Reading

Enrico Cirelli

Università di Bologna

Kristian Kristiansen

University of Gothenburg

Yannis Hamilakis

Brown University

Jean-Jacques Hublin

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Laurajane Smith

The Australian National University

Gary Feinman

Field Museum

Neil Silberman

University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Papers by Morris Sutton

Uncovering early human behaviour : cover story

Quest, 2009

Stone and bone artefacts from the Early and Middle Stone Age provide a window into early human be... more

The rise of homo sapiens. The evolution of modern thinking [Book Review]

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

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A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Canteen Koppie, Northern Cape, South Africa [Book Review]

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2013

Review(s) of: A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Ca... more

New hominid fossils from Member 1 of the Swartkrans formation, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, May 1, 2012

Member 1 of the Swartkrans Formation is comprised of two sedimentary infills, the Lower Bank (LB)... more Member 1 of the Swartkrans Formation is comprised of two sedimentary infills, the Lower Bank (LB) and the Hanging Remnant (HR). Together, the LB and HR preserve fossils of early Homo and Paranthropus robustus, Earlier Stone Age lithic artifacts, purported bone digging tools and butchered animal bones. Collectively, this evidence was the first to establish the co-existence of two early Pleistocene hominid species and also led to inferences of plant root harvesting and meat-eating by one or both of those species. P. robustus is the more abundant of the two hominids at Swartrkrans, represented in Member 1 by hundreds of fossils that derive from at least 99 individuals. Thus, Swartkrans Member 1 stands as the world&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s single largest repository of that extinct species. Here we add to the Member 1 sample of hominid fossils with descriptions of 14 newly discovered specimens.

Cosmogenic nuclide burial dating of hominin-bearing Pleistocene cave deposits at Swartkrans, South Africa

Quaternary Geochronology, Dec 1, 2014

Based on the cosmogenic nuclide burial dating technique, we present new radiometric age estimates... more Based on the cosmogenic nuclide burial dating technique, we present new radiometric age estimates of 2.19 ± 0.08 and 1.80 ± 0.09 million-years-old (Ma) for Member 1, and 0.96 ± 0.09 Ma for Member 3 of the Swartkrans Formation in South Africa. Our data are consistent with, and expand upon, results from previous radiometric dating techniques used at the site. The burial ages of Member 1 are consistent with the uraniumelead (UePb) age provided by bracketing flowstones (Pickering et al., 2011), while the age of Member 3 is significantly more precise than the large age bracket provided by UePb dating of tooth enamel (Balter et al., 2008) and recently re-evaluated electron spin resonance data (Herries and Adams, 2013). These new dates provide the complete age range for the extinct hominin, Paranthropus robustus, as well as indicate the first appearance of the genus Homo in southern Africa. Our results also indicate: the first, as well as the last, manufacture and use of bone digging tools in South Africa; some of the earliest evidence of stone tool use and large animal butchery in South Africa; and one of the earliest archaeological indications of the domestication of fire in the world.

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Stone Age signatures in northernmost South Africa

Wits University Press eBooks, Aug 25, 2018

ABSTRACT The oldest archaeological sites currently known in northernmost South Africa are found i... more ABSTRACT The oldest archaeological sites currently known in northernmost South Africa are found in the Mapungubwe National Park (formerly known as the Vhembe-Dongola National Park) and neighbouring farms, where there is a widespread distribution of open-air sites in deflated contexts. They are sealed by Holocene sands, which at some of the sites contain Later Stone Age (LSA) artefacts. The industry to which the older assemblages are most comparable is final Earlier Stone Age (ESA) in character, with parallels to the Sangoan Industry, or what has locally been proposed as the Charaman from Zimbabwe. A developed phase of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) with segments and retouched points is also represented on one landscape. Rockshelter sites are being investigated to locate stratified deposits to which the open sites may be compared. In the interim, the material provides a form of &amp;amp;amp;#39;archaeological signature&amp;amp;amp;#39; that can contribute to the overall evaluation of Stone Age occupations in northernmost South Africa. Large-scale climatic fluctuations during the course of the Pleistocene have influenced occupations across southern Africa. The archaeology of the Mapungubwe area appears to have more in common with developments north of the Limpopo than it does with the South African sequence.

Newly discovered fossil- and artifact-bearing deposits, uranium-series ages, and Plio-Pleistocene hominids at Swartkrans Cave, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, Dec 1, 2009

The current use of caves in South Africa by three distinct collectors of faunal remains, leopard ... more The current use of caves in South Africa by three distinct collectors of faunal remains, leopard (Pantherapardus), brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) and porcupine (Hystrixafricaeaustralis) as well as other species of taphonomic significance raises serious questions with regard to the interpretation of the hominin bearing caves. As part of study using multiple camera traps to monitor a number of caves in the Cradle of Humankind over a period of at least 20 months, we found that an individual cave may be used by no less than seven species. The results indicate that identifying a single collector or modifier from a fossil assemblage which may span thousands of years is not as straightforward as previously hypothesized.

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The archaeology of Swartkrans cave, Gauteng, South Africa: new excavations of members 1 and 4

Swartkrans Cave, famous for abundant hominin fossils of P. robustus and the site where the first ... more Swartkrans Cave, famous for abundant hominin fossils of P. robustus and the site where the first evidence of the co-existence of two hominin species was recovered, has yielded a wealth of information on early hominin behaviour. In 2005 a new program of research and excavation began at the site, and its results form the central part of this thesis. This study has focused on the early Pleistocene Member 1 deposits which include an Earlier Stone Age industry and the late Pleistocene Member 4 Middle Stone Age deposits. The thesis has four areas of focus. First the new work has resulted in clarification and new interpretations for the formation of the hominin rich Hanging Remnant deposit of Member 1, which lacks stone tools. This extensive calcified conglomerate which spans most of the north wall of the cave is now seen as a non-homogenous unit that represents material entering from at least four avens. However, this study also established that the newly exposed central portion of the Hanging Remnant and the hominin fossil-rich northwest corner infill worked by Robert Broom in the 1940s derived from the same depositional episode. Secondly, the new excavations in the Lower Bank of Member 1 have resulted in an enlargement of the previously ambiguous Earlier Stone Age assemblage. Analysis of this new assemblage, in conjunction with recently released dating results, has now confirmed that the artefacts belong to the Oldowan Industrial Complex. Thirdly, new excavations in the Member 4 deposit have resulted in the recovery of over 3,200 Middle Stone Age (MSA) stone tools and a clearer understanding of their context. The stone tool-bearing deposits of Member 4 are now understood to derive from a surface colluvium, rather than a cave infill. This MSA assemblage consists of a high number of retouched pieces that are dominated by steep-sided scrapers and denticulated scrapers with a near-absence of points. The technology of a variety of core types suggests a superior understanding of raw material flaking qualities by the tool makers. The limited types of formal tools suggest that the site was used for one or more specific activities, rather than for a range of activities by the tool makers. Fourthly, excavation of the deposits underlying the Member 4 colluvium has resulted in the discovery of two previously unknown hominin-bearing deposits. It is now established that what was originally called Member 4 is composed of three distinct deposits. The lowest of these is an east extension of the Member 1 Lower Bank (LB East Extension), which has yielded P. robustus fossils. This is overlain by a large talus cone (TCD), which also has yielded P. robustus fossils. The latter is capped by flowstone dated to ~110,000 years, followed by the MSA-tool bearing colluvium

Newly discovered fossil- and artifact-bearing deposits, uranium-series ages, and Plio-Pleistocene hominids at Swartkrans Cave, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, 2009

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The archaeology of Swartkrans cave, Gauteng, South Africa: new excavations of members 1 and 4

Cosmogenic nuclide burial dating of hominin-bearing Pleistocene cave deposits at Swartkrans, South Africa

Quaternary Geochronology, 2014

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New hominid fossils from Member 1 of the Swartkrans formation, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, 2012

The rise of homo sapiens. The evolution of modern thinking [Book Review]

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

Review(s) of: The rise of homo sapiens. The evolution of modern thinking, by Coolidge, Frederick ... more

Uncovering early human behaviour : cover story

Quest, 2009

Stone and bone artefacts from the Early and Middle Stone Age provide a window into early human be... more

A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Canteen Koppie, Northern Cape, South Africa [Book Review]

Review(s) of: A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Ca... more

New early Pleistocene hominin teeth from the Swartkrans Formation, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, 2016

Humans stand out among non-aquatic mammals by having both an extremely large brain and a relative... more Humans stand out among non-aquatic mammals by having both an extremely large brain and a relatively large amount of body fat. To understand the evolution of this human peculiarity we report a phylogenetic comparative study of 120 mammalian species, including 30 primates, using seasonal variation in adult body mass as a proxy of the tendency to store fat. Species that rely on storing fat to survive lean periods are expected to be less active because of higher costs of locomotion and have increased predation risk due to reduced agility. Because a fat-storage strategy reduces the net cognitive benefit of a large brain without reducing its cost, such species should be less likely to evolve a larger brain than non-fat-storing species. We therefore predict that the two strategies to buffer food shortages (storing body fat and cognitive flexibility) are compensatory, and therefore predict negative co-evolution between relative brain size and seasonal variation in body mass. This trade-off is expected to be stronger in predominantly arboreal species than in more terrestrial ones, as the cost of transporting additional adipose depots is higher for climbing than for horizontal locomotion. We did, indeed, find a significant negative correlation between brain size and coefficient of variation (CV) in body mass in both sexes for the subsample of arboreal species, both in all mammals and within primates. In predominantly terrestrial species, in contrast, this correlation was not significant. We therefore suggest that the adoption of habitually terrestrial locomotor habits, accompanied by a reduced reliance on climbing, has allowed for a primate of our body size the unique human combination of unusually large brains and unusually large adipose depots.

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Stone Age signatures in northernmost South Africa: early archaeology of the Mapungubwe National Park and vicinity

From Tools to Symbols, …, 2005

The Rise of Homo sapiens: The Evolution of Modern Thinking (Book Review)

Journal of Anthropological Research 6(3), 2010

If you are an aficionado of cognitive archaeology, you are likely to know what is in the book. Th... more

The Oldowan industry from Swartkrans cave, South Africa, and its relevance for the African Oldowan

Journal of human evolution, 2018

The oldest recognized artifacts at the Swartkrans cave hominid-bearing site in South Africa have ... more The oldest recognized artifacts at the Swartkrans cave hominid-bearing site in South Africa have long been known to occur in the Lower Bank of Member 1, now dated with the cosmogenic nuclide burial method to ca. 1.8-2.19 Ma. However, the affinities of this industry have been debated due to small sample size. In this paper we present newly excavated material from the Lower Bank retrieved since 2005 in the Swartkrans Paleoanthropological Research Project. The sample is now large enough to confirm its affinity with the Oldowan industrial complex. The assemblage is highly expedient and core reduction strategies are largely casual. Although freehand flaking is present, the bipolar technique is most significant, even in non-quartz raw materials. The Swartkrans assemblage shows some significant contrasts with the Sterkfontein Oldowan, ca. 2.18 Ma, which can be explained by its closer proximity to raw material sources, its somewhat different geographic context, and its more expedient nature...

New hominid fossils from Member 1 of the Swartkrans formation, South Africa

by Jason Heaton and Morris Sutton

Member 1 of the Swartkrans Formation is comprised of two sedimentary infills, the Lower Bank (LB)... more Member 1 of the Swartkrans Formation is comprised of two sedimentary infills, the Lower Bank (LB) and the Hanging Remnant (HR). Together, the LB and HR preserve fossils of early Homo and Paranthropus robustus, Earlier Stone Age lithic artifacts, purported bone digging tools and butchered animal bones. Collectively, this evidence was the first to establish the co-existence of two early Pleistocene hominid species and also led to inferences of plant root harvesting and meat-eating by one or both of those species. P. robustus is the more abundant of the two hominids at Swartrkrans, represented in Member 1 by hundreds of fossils that derive from at least 99 individuals. Thus, Swartkrans Member 1 stands as the world’s single largest repository of that extinct species. Here we add to the Member 1 sample of hominid fossils with descriptions of 14 newly discovered specimens.

$Figure 4. Hominid upper canine fossils from the Lower Bank (a) and Hanging Remnant (b) of Swartkrans Member 1. SWT1/LB-8, a mesial enamel fragment of a left perma- nent, is shown in mesial view (left of pair) and the right image of the specimen is a distal view of the tooth’s internal surface along a natural fracture plane (a). SWT1/ HR-1, a right permanent, is shown in labial (left of pair) and lingual (right of pair) views (b). Bar scale = 1 cm.$

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Uncovering early human behaviour : cover story

Quest, 2009

Stone and bone artefacts from the Early and Middle Stone Age provide a window into early human be... more

The rise of homo sapiens. The evolution of modern thinking [Book Review]

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

Download

A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Canteen Koppie, Northern Cape, South Africa [Book Review]

South African Archaeological Bulletin, Jun 1, 2013

Review(s) of: A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Ca... more

New hominid fossils from Member 1 of the Swartkrans formation, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, May 1, 2012

Cosmogenic nuclide burial dating of hominin-bearing Pleistocene cave deposits at Swartkrans, South Africa

Quaternary Geochronology, Dec 1, 2014

Download

Stone Age signatures in northernmost South Africa

Wits University Press eBooks, Aug 25, 2018

Newly discovered fossil- and artifact-bearing deposits, uranium-series ages, and Plio-Pleistocene hominids at Swartkrans Cave, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, Dec 1, 2009

Download

The archaeology of Swartkrans cave, Gauteng, South Africa: new excavations of members 1 and 4

Newly discovered fossil- and artifact-bearing deposits, uranium-series ages, and Plio-Pleistocene hominids at Swartkrans Cave, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, 2009

Download

The archaeology of Swartkrans cave, Gauteng, South Africa: new excavations of members 1 and 4

Cosmogenic nuclide burial dating of hominin-bearing Pleistocene cave deposits at Swartkrans, South Africa

Quaternary Geochronology, 2014

Download

New hominid fossils from Member 1 of the Swartkrans formation, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, 2012

The rise of homo sapiens. The evolution of modern thinking [Book Review]

South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010

Review(s) of: The rise of homo sapiens. The evolution of modern thinking, by Coolidge, Frederick ... more

Uncovering early human behaviour : cover story

Quest, 2009

Stone and bone artefacts from the Early and Middle Stone Age provide a window into early human be... more

A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Canteen Koppie, Northern Cape, South Africa [Book Review]

Review(s) of: A report on the archaeological assemblages from excavations by Peter Beaumont at Ca... more

New early Pleistocene hominin teeth from the Swartkrans Formation, South Africa

Journal of Human Evolution, 2016

Download

Stone Age signatures in northernmost South Africa: early archaeology of the Mapungubwe National Park and vicinity

From Tools to Symbols, …, 2005

The Rise of Homo sapiens: The Evolution of Modern Thinking (Book Review)

Journal of Anthropological Research 6(3), 2010

If you are an aficionado of cognitive archaeology, you are likely to know what is in the book. Th... more

The Oldowan industry from Swartkrans cave, South Africa, and its relevance for the African Oldowan

Journal of human evolution, 2018

New hominid fossils from Member 1 of the Swartkrans formation, South Africa

by Jason Heaton and Morris Sutton

Member 1 of the Swartkrans Formation is comprised of two sedimentary infills, the Lower Bank (LB)... more Member 1 of the Swartkrans Formation is comprised of two sedimentary infills, the Lower Bank (LB) and the Hanging Remnant (HR). Together, the LB and HR preserve fossils of early Homo and Paranthropus robustus, Earlier Stone Age lithic artifacts, purported bone digging tools and butchered animal bones. Collectively, this evidence was the first to establish the co-existence of two early Pleistocene hominid species and also led to inferences of plant root harvesting and meat-eating by one or both of those species. P. robustus is the more abundant of the two hominids at Swartrkrans, represented in Member 1 by hundreds of fossils that derive from at least 99 individuals. Thus, Swartkrans Member 1 stands as the world’s single largest repository of that extinct species. Here we add to the Member 1 sample of hominid fossils with descriptions of 14 newly discovered specimens.

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