Reassessment of selected Middle Stone Age artefacts from Rhino Cave and from White Paintings Rock Shelter, Tsodilo Hills, Botswana

This paper takes the results from the morphological analysis of Middle Stone Age material from Rhino Cave and White Paintings Rock Shelter, Botswana, by L.H. Robbins and his associates and compares them with the results of a new attribute cluster analysis. The extent to which the method of analysis may affect the conclusions drawn is demonstrated. The reanalysis of selected artefacts provides new evidence that Middle Stone Age points from these sites were serrated and it identifies the tools that were used to retouch these points. It is argued that the points were used as components of hand-held stabbing spears.