New perspectives on the Howiesons Poort from the site of Kathu Pan 6, South Africa

Excavations at Kathu Pan 6, located in the Northern Cape Province at the southern margin of the Kalahari Basin, have confirmed the identification by Peter Beaumont of a Howiesons Poort occupation. Along with a lithic assemblage including microliths and blade production excavations in 2022 recovered ochre and specularite along with a small stone fragment with incised lines. The Howiesons Poort of Kathu Pan 6 dramatically increases the geographic range of this distinctive Middle Stone Age industry. The incised stone, although quite small, is highly significant as the first such discovery in the interior of southern Africa.