scholarly journals Fossil mammals from the Gondolin Dump A ex situ hominin deposits, South Africa

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin W. Adams
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Second Molar ◽  
Sedimentary Deposits ◽  
Fossil Hominids ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Mandibular Molar ◽  
Fossil Hominin

The Gondolin palaeokarstic system, located in the UNESCO Fossil Hominids of South Africa World Heritage Site, has been sporadically excavated since the 1970s. Sampling of ex situ dumpsites in 1997 recovered the only two fossil hominin specimens recovered thus far from Gondolin. While one partial mandibular molar (GA 1) remains unattributed, the complete mandibular second molar (GA 2) represents the largest Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938 tooth identified to date. While subsequent excavations and research at Gondolin has clarified the geological, temporal, taphonomic, and palaeoecologic context for the in situ deposits, this paper presents the first comprehensive description of the fossil assemblage ‘associated’ with the two ex situ hominins. Analysis of 42 calcified sediment blocks and naturally decalcified sediments excavated from three cubic metres of the Dump A deposits reinforce that the dump contains a heterogeneous aggregation of materials from across the Gondolin sedimentary deposits. A total of 15,250 individual fossil specimens were processed (via sifting or acetic-acid mediated processing of calcified sediment blocks), yielding a faunal record that largely mirrors that described from either (or both) the GD 1 and GD 2 in situ assemblages but includes representatives of four novel mammal groups (Families Cercopithecidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Giraffidae) not recorded in either in situ sample. While basic assemblage characteristics including primary taphonomic data is presented, analysis and interpretation is limited by the ex situ origin of the sample. Ultimately, these results reinforce that the substantial mining-mediated obliteration of palaeokarstic deposits at Gondolin continue to obscure a clear association between the Gondolin Dump A hominins and any of the sampled and dated in situ deposits.

scholarly journals Macromammalian faunas, biochronology and palaeoecology of the early Pleistocene Main Quarry hominin-bearing deposits of the Drimolen Palaeocave System, South Africa

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin W. Adams ◽  
Douglass S. Rovinsky ◽  
Andy I.R. Herries ◽  
Colin G. Menter
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Papio Hamadryas ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Species List ◽  
Unesco World Heritage ◽  
Fossil Hominids ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Unesco World Heritage Site

The Drimolen Palaeocave System Main Quarry deposits (DMQ) are some of the most prolific hominin and primate-bearing deposits in the Fossil Hominids of South Africa UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovered in the 1990s, excavations into the DMQ have yielded a demographically diverse sample ofParanthropus robustus(including DNH 7, the most complete cranium of the species recovered to date), earlyHomo,Papio hamadryas robinsoniandCercopithecoides williamsi. Alongside the hominin and primate sample is a diverse macromammalian assemblage, but prior publications have only provided a provisional species list and an analysis of the carnivores recovered prior to 2008. Here we present the first description and analysis of the non-primate macromammalian faunas from the DMQ, including all 826 taxonomically identifiable specimens catalogued from over two decades of excavation. We also provide a biochronological interpretation of the DMQ deposits and an initial discussion of local palaeoecology based on taxon representation.The current DMQ assemblage consists of the remains of minimally 147 individuals from 9 Orders and 14 Families of mammals. The carnivore assemblage described here is even more diverse than established in prior publications, including the identification ofMegantereon whitei,Lycyaenops silberbergi, and first evidence for the occurrence ofDinofeliscf.barlowiandDinofelisaff.piveteauiwithin a single South African site deposit. The cetartiodactyl assemblage is dominated by bovids, with the specimen composition unique in the high recovery of horn cores and dominance ofAntidorcas reckiremains. Other cetartiodactyl and perissodactyl taxa are represented by few specimens, as areHystrixandProcavia; the latter somewhat surprisingly so given their common occurrence at penecontemporaneous deposits in the region. Equally unusual (particularly given the size of the sample) is the identification of single specimens of giraffoid, elephantid and aardvark (Orycteropuscf.afer) that are rarely recovered from regional site deposits. Despite the diversity within the DMQ macromammalian faunas, there are few habitat- or biochronologically-sensitive species that provide specific ecologic or age boundaries for the deposits. Recovered species can only support the non-specific, mixed open-to-closed palaeohabitats around Drimolen that have been reconstructed for the other penecontemporaneous South African palaeokarst deposits. The identifiedEquus quaggassp. specimens recovered from the floor of the current excavation (∾−4.5–5 m below datum) suggests that most, if not all the DMQ specimens, were deposited after 2.33 Ma. Simultaneously, the carnivore specimens (D.cf.barlowi, L. silberbergi) suggest earlier Pleistocene (pre- 2.0–1.8 Ma) to maximally 1.6 Ma deposition (D.aff.piveteaui) for most of the DMQ fossil assemblage.

scholarly journals The first hominin from the early Pleistocene paleocave of Haasgat, South Africa

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2024 ◽  
Author(s):  
AB Leece ◽  
Anthony D.T. Kegley ◽  
Rodrigo S. Lacruz ◽  
Andy I.R. Herries ◽  
Jason Hemingway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Micro Ct ◽  
Enamel Microstructure ◽  
Heritage Site

Haasgat is a primate-rich fossil locality in the northeastern part of the Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here we report the first hominin identified from Haasgat, a partial maxillary molar (HGT 500), that was recovered from anex situcalcified sediment block sampled from the locality. Thein situfossil bearing deposits of the Haasgat paleokarstic deposits are estimated to date to slightly older than 1.95 Ma based on magnetobiostratigraphy. This places the hominin specimen at a critical time period in South Africa that marks the last occurrence ofAustralopithecusaround 1.98 Ma and the first evidence ofParanthropusandHomoin the region between ∼2.0 and 1.8 Ma. A comprehensive morphological evaluation of the Haasgat hominin molar was conducted against the current South African catalogue of hominin dental remains and imaging analyses using micro-CT, electron and confocal microscopy. The preserved occlusal morphology is most similar toAustralopithecus africanusor earlyHomospecimens but different fromParanthropus. Occlusal linear enamel thickness measured from micro-CT scans provides an average of ∼2.0 mm consistent withAustralopithecusand earlyHomo. Analysis of the enamel microstructure suggests an estimated periodicity of 7–9 days. Hunter–Schreger bands appear long and straight as in someParanthropus, but contrast with this genus in the short shape of the striae of Retzius. Taken together, these data suggests that the maxillary fragment recovered from Haasgat best fits within theAustralopithecus—earlyHomohypodigms to the exclusion of the genusParanthropus. At ∼1.95 Ma this specimen would either represent another example of late occurringAustralopithecusor one of the earliest examples ofHomoin the region. While the identification of this first hominin specimen from Haasgat is not unexpected given the composition of other South African penecontemporaneous site deposits, it represents one of the few hominin localities in the topographically-distinct northern World Heritage Site. When coupled with the substantial differences in the mammalian faunal communities between the northern localities (e.g., Haasgat, Gondolin) and well-sampled Bloubank Valley sites (e.g., Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai), the recovery of the HGT 500 specimen highlights the potential for further research at the Haasgat locality for understanding the distribution and interactions of hominin populations across the landscape, ecosystems and fossil mammalian communities of early Pleistocene South Africa. Such contextual data from sites like Haasgat is critical for understanding the transition in hominin representation at ∼2 Ma sites in the region fromAustralopithecustoParanthropusand earlyHomo.

scholarly journals Assessing the hydrological impacts of agricultural changes upstream of the Tunisian World Heritage sea-connected Ichkeul Lake

2015 ◽  
Vol 365 ◽  
pp. 61-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Aouissi ◽  
Z. L. Chabaane ◽  
S. Benabdallah ◽  
C. Cudennec
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Landsat Images ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Unesco World Heritage Site ◽  
Ichkeul Lake ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The impact of changes in agricultural land use and practices as a controlling driver of hydrologic response and as a source of diffuse pollution, are studied in the Joumine River basin, discharging into the Ichkeul Lake, northern Tunisia, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. The lake is characterized by a very specific hydrological functioning based on a seasonal alternation of water levels and salinity through its link to the Mediterranean Sea. Three Landsat images, in situ surveys and SWAT modelling were used to simulate and assess streamflows and nitrate loads under retrospective land uses.

Contributions of a Heritage Values-based Approach to Rock Art Management. Lessons from the Maloti-Drakensberg World Heritage Site, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Duval ◽  
Stéphane Hœrlé ◽  
Lucie Bovet ◽  
Benjamin Smith
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Site

Bach Dang cable-stayed bridge – Underslung form traveller

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Dupleix
Keyword(s):  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Stay Cable ◽  
Construction Technique ◽  
Unesco World Heritage ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Unesco World Heritage Site ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Long Bay ◽  
Anchor Block

<p>The Bach Dang Bridge forms part of the Ha Long – Hai Phong Highway in Vietnam. It will help cut 50km from the journey between Hanoi and the Ha Long Bay UNESCO world heritage site. The focal cable-stayed section of the bridge will consist of two main spans of 240 m. The tallest of the three towers will reach a height of almost 100 m.</p><p>The construction technique used for the cable-stayed section is to cast 9.6 m-long and 28 m-wide concrete segments in situ, using an underslung form traveller (FT) which is launched to the next position once the segment is cast.</p><p>The FT has been designed by the Technical Centre of specialist contractor VSL. Its weight is minimised by using the stay cable as a support at the front of the traveller. The stay cable is connected to the FT by precasting the anchor block and securing it to the FT. This innovation was previously, successfully used by VSL on the Ironton-Russell project in the USA. Besides, the formwork system has been mechanised to be easily collapsed from one segment to the next.</p><p>This paper discusses the design of this innovative construction technique and how it was used on this major bridge project in Vietnam.</p>

scholarly journals Conveyance of preaching by vulnerable listeners – A case study of farm workers in the Vredefort Dome South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barend J. De Klerk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Farm Workers ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Worship Services ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
Vulnerable Persons

Farm workers living in and around the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site are some of the most vulnerable people in South Africa. Research by means of a case study with four participants from this group examined the following question: How do vulnerable people continue preaching the Word in this environment by ministering to other vulnerable people with the sermons that they have heard? The case study considered both the environment and the circumstances in which these participants live. This research aimed to establish what it means to preach to those who are vulnerable and how such preaching can be continued by the hearers. A case study by means of a qualitative empirical investigation called upon a few of the vulnerable hearers to speak.Thefindings included that the participants to this case study do not spread the sermons further on a regular basis, but they would be able to edify and encourage other vulnerable persons with it if needed. If they do talk to each other about the sermon directly after the worship service (like it was done during the interviews), their confidence to proclaim the message to other vulnerable people who do not participate in the worship services will increase. Plaaswerkers wat in die omgewing van die wêrelderfenisgebied, die Vredefortkoepel, woon, is van die mees weerlose wesens in Suid-Afrika. ’n Gevallestudie, waaraan vier van hierdie persone deelgeneem het, is gedoen. Dit het oor die volgende vraag gehandel: Hoe word preke wat aan weerloses bedien word deur hulle aan ander in hulle omgewing wat in dieselfde omstandighede verkeer, voortgedra? Die omgewing waarin die deelnemers woon en hulle lewensomstandighede is nagegaan. Daar is gepoog om vas te stel wat onder prediking aan weerloses verstaan word en hoe sodanige prediking deur die hoorders verder versprei kan word. Die gevallestudie, wat deur middel van ’n kwalitatiewe empiriese ondersoek plaasgevind het, het enkele van die weerlose hoorders self aan die woord laat kom. Die bevinding was dat die deelnemers hieraan nie die preke op ʼngereelde basis verder laat weerklink nie, maar dat hulle wel in staat sou wees om ander weerlose persone daarmee te versterk en te bemoedig. Indien hulle wel onmiddellik na die diens met mekaar oor die preek van die dag sou gesels (soos dit in die onderhoude gedoen is), kan die vrymoedigheid groei om die boodskap ook aan ander weerlose mense wat nie aan die erediens deelgeneem het nie, oor te dra.

Loropéni and Other Large Enclosed Sites in the South-West of Burkina Faso: An Outside Archaeological View

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Hurst
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Forest Belt ◽  
Traditional Religion ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Sedimentary Deposits ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Stone Walls

The World Heritage site at Loropéni is the best-preserved of about a dozen large quadrangular sites enclosed by stone walls in the southwest of modern Burkina Faso. They are located mostly in the modern Départment of Loropéni a short distance west of the Black Volta river in the Savannah region, roughly midway between the river Niger and the southern edge of the Sahara and the forest belt close to the Atlantic south coast of western Africa (Fig. 15.1). Historically this region is crossed by the major north–south trade routes, linking the trans-Saharan trade of North Africa with the coastal regions. The area close to the sites has been gold-producing, with the mineral extracted from sedimentary deposits mainly by small-scale workings (Kiéthega 1983; Perinbam 1988); and it supports a modest agriculture with millet, sorghum and cotton among its principal products. It is occupied by several ethnic groups, notably the Lobi and the Gan, who, at the start of the colonial period a century ago, and still partly today, could be described as having a village-based social organisation and practising traditional religion (Labouret 1931; Père 1988; 2004).

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