Middle stone age tool function from residue analysis at Sibudu Cave

Microscopic residue analysis was conducted on a sample of 412 stone tools from Sibudu Cave to obtain further information on the specific use of certain tool types at the site. Plant residues are better represented than animal products and indicate that the occupants of the cave processed plant materials extensively throughout its occupation. However, the surrounding soils were found to be slightly acidic, a factor that may have contributed to the preferential preservation of organic plant residues and the reason that animal processing activities are not well-represented in the residues. Ochre was widely worked. Broken tools were recycled by the people living in the cave, and specific categories of tools were used for multiple tasks.