Raw Material Surveys and Their Behavioral Implications in Highland Lesotho

Abstract Archaeologists have long considered climate change a primary mechanism behind human behavioral adaptations. The Lesotho highlands’ Afromontane and climatically extreme environments offer unique opportunity to examine proposed correlations between topography, climate, behavior. Previous studies suggest that warmer temperatures allowed humans expand their diet breadth foraging range, whereas colder restricted resources in riverine corridors. These used faunal floral as proxies track changes forager mobility but did not consider how differential access stone affected behaviors. To account for this gap, we conducted survey knappable rocks around the Sehonghong rock shelter eastern Lesotho, recording materials present size shape modern environment. We compared results later Pleistocene (~ 22–11 ka cal. BP) lithic assemblages at better understand whether archaeological patterns match availability. Contrary previous hypotheses, find past peoples were limited exclusively during conditions. then flake-to-core noncortical-to-cortical flake ratios procurement patterns. remain constant up until Late Glacial, ca. 14 BP, when see an increase both ratios, suggesting increased movement of out Sehonghong. conclusions show resource are solely dependent on may be driven by more complicated causal mechanisms such interaction formation social networks across highlands beyond.