Acheulean in Southern Africa: Latest Perspectives

Acheulean sites in southern Africa continue to play an important role in understanding the evolution of Earlier Stone Age technology. While there are over fifty Acheulean localities documented in this region, contextual challenges often limit their potential to develop well‐defined stratigraphic and chronological constraints. Despite this, recent trends in Acheulean research have emphasized the importance of examining site formation issues on both site and regional scales. Understanding where Acheulean sites are located on the southern African landscape provides insight into the mobility patterns of Early and Middle Pleistocene hominin populations. Furthermore, recent studies using geometric morphometric methods to analyze handaxes and cleavers have provided new avenues for illuminating sources of variation in their size and shape across both temporal and geographical boundaries. Continued expansion in these focal areas of research will aid our ability to understand how Acheulean toolmakers adapted to local and regional landscapes in southern Africa.