The analysis of late Stone Age hafting cements from the Cape Province, South Africa
In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that an important aspect of southern African late Stone Age technology was the use of glues or adhesives to heft implements, and this correlates largely with the viability of microlithic industries. The number of sites yielding evidence of hafting have increased considerably since excavators have become aware of its presence. For the most part, the remains consist of odd lumps or traces on implements, but there are about a dozen fairly complete moulded pieces that allow some comment to be made as to the hafting strategy, and this technique is considered. To date, no success has been registered in identifying the actual ingredients used, and the main objective of this paper is to indicate that thin layer chromatography can be used to this end.
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