New dates for the introduction of sheep into South Africa: the evidence from Spoegrivier Cave in Namaqualand

Abstract

Excavation of Spoegrivier Cave in 1987 yielded an AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon date of 2100 BP for a sheep phalange from the basal layer. Re-Excavation of the cave in 1994 to obtain a larger sample of early livestock produced sheep bones below the base of the pottery units, dating to 1930 BP, showing that the animals probably predate the introduction of pottery to the site. The lowest layer with sheep bones has given a radiocarbon date of 2400 BP. This early date suggests that one way sheep were introduced into South Africa was along the west coast.