Data pretreatment and multivariate analyses for ochre sourcing: Application to Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia)

Usually referred to as ‘ochre’ or ‘pigment’ in archaeological contexts, ferruginous rocks were commonly exploited during the Later Stone Age southern Africa. While ochre could lead crucial inferences about socio-cultural behaviours of past populations, provenance and procurement strategies this material LSA well its association rock art remain largely understudied. In present study, seventeen sources from five geological zones north-central Namibia 41 pieces discovered stratigraphic sequence site Leopard Cave, Erongo Mountains - Namibia, analysed by ICP-OES ICP-MS/MS. Geochemical data coupled pre-treatment considerations multivariate statistical analyses demonstrate that ochres both collected locally regionally more distant sources. Beyond shedding new light on for Age, our provide insight into mobility populations interactions existing between distinct areas Namibia.