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My research on African prehistory

I have been fascinated by Africa since I visited Malawi and Zambia when I was 14 years old. As the epicentre of human evolution and the birthplace of our species, Africa holds a special place in the study of human origins. I have worked in eastern, north, and west Africa (and I hope to add southern Africa one day).

I have studied many Middle Stone Age lithic (stone tool) assemblages from North Africa. These include sites in the Nile Valley, as well as those associated with ancient lakes in what are now hyper-arid deserts. This work has focussed on both understanding these ancient societies in their own terms, but also in the context of understanding how our species expanded beyond Africa (more on which below). Working with Prof. Eleanor Scerri and colleagues, I contributed to a study of stone tool assemblages across North Africa (link), showing how the variability of these assemblages indicated partially sub-divided populations, reflecting the environmental and palaeoenviromental structure of the region. That work was an important step towards the model of our evolutionary process taking place in structured populations (link).

Part of this work has involved research on the notion of the ‘Nubian Complex’ – or some synonym, the name is unimportant (link, link, link). This is the notion that ‘Nubian Levallois’ technology, a slight variation from ‘normal’ Levallois, is a marker of a specific (northeast African) Homo sapiens population at a particular time (125-75 thousand years ago). However, Nubian Levallois technology is widespread in time and space, suggesting that there is a high chance that it represents convergent evolution (link). Likewise, my work in North Africa and Arabia shows that in most cases, Nubian Levallois technology is rare in assemblages, and seems like a rather coincidental aspect. In my opinion, the Nubian Complex is more a case of storytelling than science.

While areas such as the eastern African Rift Valley and southern African coast have been intensively studied, much of the African continent remains poorly known. I have taken part in fieldwork and subsequent analyses in Senegal in West Africa which aims to contribute more spatially and temporally representative archaeological samples, to allow us to more accurately understand human origins.

West Africa can be challenging for research due to factors such as political instability and challenging landscapes, such as dense forests. Our work in Senegal though – and that of my colleagues more broadly in West Africa (link) – has contributed towards building an increasingly detailed archaeological record for the area. Our surveys identified a rich Middle Stone Age record in the area (link). Subsequent surveys and excavations at sites such as Ndiayène Pendao (link) revealed evidence for an unusually young (compared to other parts of Africa) Middle Stone Age. Subsequent work at sites such as Laminia and Saxomununya confirmed the presence of a very young MSA in the region, extending to the start of the Holocene (link). This research shows a distinctive regional character, with a late surviving MSA (and concomitant late originating LSA).

I have also worked on the archaeology of East Africa. I have studied lithic assemblages from sites such as Aduma, Omo Kibish, and Porc Epic, which have contributed to comparative studies (e.g. link). I have also contributed to studies on sites such as Panga ya Saidi in Kenya (link).

Beyond individual regions, I have contributed to debates on the dispersal of species out of Africa. For instance, In 2015 I led a large group of researchers, covering various disciplines, to review the evidence for the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa (link). In that paper, which has been widely cited since, we reviewed different dispersal models, exploring their strengths and weaknesses.

I have also taken part in several lithic comparative studies, with more to come, between eastern and north Africa and Southwest Asia (link, link, link). I have also contributed to this topic by reviewing available stone tool evidence (link). These studies have been consistent with a model of MIS 5 dispersals from Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia, and help to bring specific focus to the characteristics of that material culture.

Overall then, my work in Africa can be understood as focussing on exploring population dynamics, both internally and in relation to expansions into Eurasia. I particularly use stone tools in these analyses, but enjoy collaborating with colleagues in other disciplines. I critique notions that one particular corner of the continent is the special birthplace of humans, be it the Nile Valley, East Africa, or, in one of the stranger iterations of the notion, Botswana (link). Rather, I am excited to be part of the growing recognition that our species evolved in partially subdivided populations across the continent (link).