Temperate Southern Africa (7,821 – 6,094 BCE) Early Holocene — Rock Art Fluorescence and Pastoral Neighbors on Horizons

Geographic and Environmental Context

• South Africa (Cape littoral, Highveld, Drakensberg, Karoo, Namaqualand).

• Lesotho and Eswatini.

• Most of Namibia and Botswana, except the far northern sectors (Caprivi, Etosha, Okavango, Skeleton Coast — those are in Tropical Southern Africa).

• Southern Zimbabwe and southwestern Mozambique (Maputo–Limpopo region).

Anchors: Cape littoral & fynbos, Drakensberg–Lesotho massif, Highveld grasslands (Witwatersrand, Free State), Namaqualand semi-desert, Kalahari southern margins, Great Karoo, Maputo–Limpopo basins, southern Zimbabwe plateau (Great Zimbabwe heartland).

• Rainfall higher; rivers, wetlands abundant; grasslands lush.

• Cape fynbos highly productive.

Climate & Environmental Shifts

• Holocene thermal optimum; stable, wet, warm.

Subsistence & Settlement

• Large seasonal villages along rivers and coasts.

• Foragers harvested nuts, geophytes, fruits, fish, and hunted antelope.

• Ostrich eggshell water flasks common.

Technology & Material Culture

• Microlithic composite arrows; bows widespread.

• Grinding slabs, bone awls, nets.

Movement & Interaction Corridors

• Drakensberg–Highveld–Limpopo corridor tied uplands to lowlands.

• Exchange of ostrich shell beads across networks.

Cultural & Symbolic Expressions

• San rock art golden age: polychrome animal–human spiritual scenes.

• Shamans depicted trance dances, eland ceremonies.

Environmental Adaptation & Resilience

• Foraging diversified, seasonal rounds established.

Transition

By 6,094 BCE, temperate southern Africa’s foragers achieved symbolic richness unmatched worldwide.