CAVE OF HEARTHS
LOCATION
Rock-shelter in the Makapansgat Valley, 16 km ENE
of Potgietersrus, Northern Province, South Africa.
DISCOVERY
B. Kitching, 1947.
MATERIAL
Adolescent mandible and radii (said to be ca. 12
years old).
DATING AND STRATIGRAPHIC CONTEXT
Late Pleistocene (Mason, 1962); found low in the
cave sediments. Oakley et al. (1966) claimed an age of
ca. 55 Ka on the basis of comparisons with Kalambo
Falls; overlying Middle Stone Age (MSA) sediments
have yielded dates of 16 Ka+ (Oakley et al., 1977).
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
A long series of levels runs at Cave of Hearths from
the Early (Acheulean) to the Middle Stone Age. The
mandible is from Acheulean level A3 (Clark, 1964).
PREVIOUS DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSES
First described by Dart (1948), who found the
mandible to be “Neanderthaloid, cf Boskop” (see
Boskop entry for clarification). Reviewed in 1968 by
Tobias, who identified “Homo erectus-like mandibu-
lar features” (p. 189), and considered the specimen“transitional” from Homo erectus to African “Upper
Pleistocene neandertaloids” (p. 190). In 1971, To-
bias revisited the specimen at length without sub-
stantially changing his assessment. Most recently,
Shea et al. (in Delson et al., eds) have noted the
specimen’s robustness and the moderate develop-
ment of a “chin.”MORPHOLOGY
R mandibular corpus fragment with P1 crown, possi-
bly not associated (unworn), and M2 and 3, reason-
ably worn. Also roots of 11-C. Also some postcranial
fragments, including partial R radius that looks too
big to go with jaw.
Corpus somewhat crushed; would not have been
very tall s/i or wide m/l. Mandible was probably
tightly curved anteriorly. In profile, symphysis was
slightly tilted forward. What little is preserved of
symphysis is smooth (no sign of midline keel or men-
tal fossa). Postincisal plane steep; curves down and
forward about halfway down, where a small pit is pre-
served. Moderately sized mental foramen lies under
region of Ml. No mylohyoid line visible.
Roots of anterior teeth subequal in size, slightly
compressed m/d. C would have been very small. P1
protoconid tall, inwardly placed, swollen buccally near
neck. Mesial and distal P1 edges relatively long and
subequal. Lingual surface bears low, thickened, cen-
trally placed cristid bounded on each side by relatively
large, deep foveae. Molars small. M2 worn but wider
b/l and probably longer than M3. Both molars have49