Science

Antelope collagen found in 60,000-year-old ochre offers clues to early human practices

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Briefings

A research team from Kyushu University, Universitetet i Bergen, and the University of Copenhagen identified traces of ancient common eland collagen on a 60,000-year-old ochre surface in the Kilpdrift Complex, South Africa. This discovery provides new insights into early human practices and diet during the Middle and Later Stone Age in coastal South Africa.

Key points

• Traces of ancient common eland (Taurotragus oryx) collagen protein were identified on a 60,000-year-old ochre-rich surface in the Kilpdrift Complex.
• The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B by researchers from Kyushu University, Universitetet i Bergen, and the University of Copenhagen.

Context

The Kilpdrift Complex is a significant Middle and Later Stone Age archaeological site in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa, where researchers have previously studied ochre pigments and human activity.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to traces of collagen protein identified on a specific ochre surface; the exact nature of the pigments and the specific human activities associated with them remain to be fully understood.

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