Nuno Bicho

NUNO BICHO, University of the Algarve, Faro, Portugal, was awarded a grant in April 2018 to aid research on ‘Stone Age Archaeology in Machampane Valley, southern Mozambique.’ The project focused on the emergence and development of anatomically modern humans in south-central Mozambique and specifically addressed the transition between MSA and LSA in the region. In June 2019, test excavations and surveys were carried out for MSA and LSA sites in the Machampane and Elephant River valleys (Massingir), in the Limpopo river basin. Nine new MSA and LSA sites were identified, three of which were tested: the lower sequence of Txina-Txina, Machampane 1, and Mapa. Various samples were collected for dating and are awaiting results. The team also analysed the materials from Txina-Txina and Machampane and are currently analysing the collections of Mapa and Txina-Txina rockshelter. The artefact analyses from both organzi and stone tools from Txina-Txina suggest that there are some similarities with the general sequence of southern Africa, namely with the Later Stone Age, including materials that can be integrated in the early LSA phase, Robberg, and Wilton phases. MSA materials seem to show more differences when compared with the traditional chrono-cultural sequence seen in southern Africa.