THE FIRST JUVENILE AND ADDITIONAL ADULT PLEISTO-HOLOCENE HUMAN REMAINS FROM EQUUS CAVE, BUXTON NORLIM LIMEWORKS, NEAR TAUNG, SOUTH AFRICA

<p dir="ltr">Abstract:</p><p dir="ltr">Equus Cave is a late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological and fossil-bearing site at the Buxton-Norlim Limeworks, near Taung in South Africa. The Later Stone Age archaeology and fossil material found throughout the deposit suggest a complex use of Equus Cave over time. From the bottom of the Equus Cave sequence to the top, sedimentary units show a general decrease in faunal remains, coupled with an increase in stone tools. The late Pleistocene Units 1B-2B at the base of the sequence suggest carnivore denning activities were mostly responsible for the accumulation of fossil assemblages but with an identifiable human presence (Stammers et al. 2017). The uppermost Holocene-aged Unit 1A contains the densest archaeological assemblage, which suggests increased human activities at the site during this period. This paper describes two new previously undescribed modern human mandibles with teeth from the original 1979 and 80s excavations that add to the 14 dental specimens previously described. This new material consists of a partial adult mandible (EQ-H13) and a partial juvenile mandible (EQ-H14) and associated dentition representing the first deciduous remains described from the site. Unfortunately, there is no provenience information available for these remains. The lack of taphonomic damage on these human remains perhaps suggest affiliation with the Holocene 1A occupation, most likely associated with the Wilton complex of the LSA (Stammers et al. 2017) but an earlier late Pleistocene age cannot be ruled out. Morphological and odontometric comparisons have been made between these new individuals and modern San populations, as well as with broadly contemporaneous individuals from Die Kelders Cave and Diepkloof Rock Shelter.</p>