Methods used in the analysis of 1163 pieces of charcoal from Elands Bay, South Africa, are described. Results from three archaeological sites (Tortoise Cave, Spring Cave and Mike Taylors Midden) show that the most common woody species at Elands Bay today also occurred in the archaeological record over the last 4000 years. This would suggest that climatic change over the last 4000 years has not been sufficient to influence the species composition of wood brought into the sites by people. There are, however, differences in species composition of the charcoal from Tortoise Cave on the one hand and Mike Taylors Midden (MTM) and Spring Cave on the other. These differences reflect fundamental differences in environment between the sites.
Journal articles from the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) African Journal of Range and Forage Science as well as related articles and reports from throughout the southern African region.