Njoro River Cave
  location in Kenya | |
| Location | Mau Escarpment |
|---|---|
| Region | Kenya |
| Coordinates | 0°38′47″N36°3′15″E/ 0.64639°N 36.05417°E |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1938 |
| Archaeologists | Mary Leakey,Louis Leakey |
Njoro River Caveis anarchaeologicalsite on the Mau Escarpment,Kenya,that was first excavated in 1938 byMary Leakeyand her husbandLouis Leakey.[1]Excavations revealed a mass cremation site created byElmenteitanpastoralists during thePastoral Neolithicroughly 3350-3050 BP.[2]Excavations also uncovered pottery, beads, stone bowls, basket work,pestlesand flakes. The Leakeys' excavation was one of the earliest to uncover ancient beads and tools in the area and a later investigation in 1950 was the first to useradiocarbon datinginEast Africa.[3]
Dating
[edit]The Njoro River Cave was the place of first use ofradiocarbon datingin East Africa.[3][4]Though the Leakeys only made a single observation in 1950,later testswere conducted in the 1980s. Results from four total radiocarbon dates cluster at 3350-3050 BP.[4]
Cremation and burial
[edit]Seventy-eight individuals were originally recovered.[1]While there is nothing that would suggest the items were only left for certain genders, the number of male remains found doubled the amount of female remains. Each body was buried with some type of potsherd, basket, bead, stone bowl, pestle, gourd or other various items. It appears the bodies underwent a series of steps to complete the ritual. First the bodies were wrapped in skins. They were then bound and covered with soil before the burning took place. Then a hole was dug into the ground and the body was placed into the hole. They were covered with soil and red ochre. Then a fire was lit on top, creating an oven atmosphere and leaving the remains in various states.
Beads
[edit]The site contained thousands of beads made of semi-precious stones including agate, quartz,chalcedonyandmicrocline.Before this excavation, beads such as these were thought to have been imported.[citation needed]Despite the fact many of the beads were burned for ceremonial purposes and lost their color, many of the excavated pieces kept their shape.
Pottery and baskets
[edit]Although many pottery pieces were found, they were only able to rebuild two pots. 78 stone vessels were recovered.[5]There were several different types of bowls found, including platters and shallow basins, pestle-rubbing, deep bowls, round-and flat-based, convex-sided bowls with sharp rims, oblong and oval bowls. These patterns were more ornate than others in the region.[6]
References
[edit]- ^abLeakey, Mary Douglas; Leakey, Louis Seymour Bazett (1950).Excavations at the Njoro River Cave: stone age cremated burials in Kenya Colony.Clarendon Press.
- ^Lane, Paul J. (2013-07-04). Mitchell, Peter; Lane, Paul J. (eds.).The Archaeology of Pastoralism and Stock-Keeping in East Africa.doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199569885.001.0001.ISBN9780199569885.
{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help) - ^abRobertshaw, Peter (1988-06-01). "The elmenteitan: An early food-producing culture in East Africa".World Archaeology.20(1): 57–69.doi:10.1080/00438243.1988.9980056.ISSN0043-8243.
- ^abMerrick, H. V.; Monaghan, M. C. (1984-01-01). "The Date of the Cremated Burials in Njoro River Cave".Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa.19(1): 7–11.doi:10.1080/00672708409511326.ISSN0067-270X.
- ^Robertshaw, P.T.; Collett, D.P. (1983). "The Identification of Pastoral Peoples in the Archaeological Record: An Example from East Africa".World Archaeology.15(1): 67–78.doi:10.1080/00438243.1983.9979885.JSTOR124638.
- ^Sutton, J. E. G (1964). "A Review of Pottery from the Kenya Highlands".The South African Archaeological Bulletin.19(74): 27–35.doi:10.2307/3888232.JSTOR3888232.
 Archaeological sites in Kenya | |
|---|---|
| Sites | |