Researchers conducting the largest study on ochre extraction in Africa have traced the movement of these prized mineral pigments across vast distances and confirmed the “Lion Cavern” as the world’s oldest ochre mine.
A recent study in Nature Communications sheds light on the ancient use of ochre in southern Africa, revealing that this earth mineral has served as a dye and in rituals for nearly 50,000 years. Researchers analyzed 173 samples from 15 Stone Age sites, reconstructing methods of ochre extraction, usage, and transportation. Their findings suggest that knowledge of ochre processing was passed down through generations, supported by social exchange and technological learning. The study also pinpointed the “Lion Cavern” in Eswatini as the world’s oldest known ochre mining site, dating back approximately 48,000 years.
Ochre’s Ancient Roots and Global Impact
From the prehistoric hunting scenes in Lascaux Cave in France to Indigenous body painting traditions and medieval artworks, ochre has long been integral to human expression. “We can say that ochre is the earliest known pigment used by humans to depict our world,” says Dr. Gregor D. Bader, senior author of the study and a researcher at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen. He adds, “Our species and other hominins have been using the red, yellow, or sometimes purple earth mineral for at least 500,000 years – and possibly even longer.”
Investigating Ochre Usage Across Africa
In the most comprehensive study to date on the use of ochre in Africa, Bader and an international research team have now investigated how the earth mineral was used south of the Sahara. Based on 173 samples from fifteen Stone Age sites, the researchers reconstructed the regional networks of mineral selection, extraction, transportation, and the use of ochre.
“We were interested in the entire ochre processing chain: From the selection of the mineral from various geological formations, its extraction, the admixture of other substances such as milk, fat, blood, and plant resins as binding agents, to its transportation to the archaeological sites,” explains the scientist from Tübingen, and he continues, “How was the knowledge of ochre extraction passed on? Was there an exchange between different hunter-gatherer groups? And are there regional or temporal differences?”
Insights Into Ochre’s Social and Technological Networks
In the recent study, scientists from Eswatini, the USA, and Europe showed that there existed both local strategies for procuring ochre as well as long-distance transportation of the important mineral via a network of different mineral deposits. The archaeometric investigations at fifteen archaeological sites suggest the presence of a long-standing cultural continuity in the intergenerational transmission of knowledge about ochre extraction and use, including geological conditions or desired physicochemical properties of mineral pigments. These communities of practice did not develop in isolation but were part of a broader system of relationships influenced and mediated by social interactions such as technological learning, seasonal migrations, the exchange of material culture, and symbolic expression, according to the study.
Ochre’s Role in Contemporary and Ancient Societies
“Our data support the assumption that hunter-gatherers were very mobile in Eswatini during the Stone Age and sometimes traveled long distances to transport ochre pigments,” says Bader. It is remarkable that such traditions continue in Eswatini to the present day. It is known from ethnographic studies, for example, that plant healers travel to collect mineral earth pigments for painting and healing ceremonies. Ochre is also considered an important part of wedding ceremonies – the bride is painted with red ochre and animal fat on the morning of the wedding to signal her new status in the community.
Groundbreaking Findings on Ochre Mining History
“Our current work impressively demonstrates that researchers from Eswatini take a leading position in the study of Stone Age ochre sources, and that the country holds an immense wealth of this important pigment. Besides breaking down the ochre exchange chain, the study also used optically stimulated luminescence dating to confirm that the ‘Lion Cavern’ in Ngwenya constitutes the oldest known evidence of intensive ochre mining in the world, dating back some 48,000 years. In addition, we can see here some of the oldest evidence of humans actively changing the shape of their environment,” adds Bader in conclusion.
For more on this research, see 48,000-Year-Old Ochre Mine Found in Eswatini.
Reference: “Ochre communities of practice in Stone Age Eswatini” by Brandi L. MacDonald, Elizabeth C. Velliky, Bob Forrester, Svenja Riedesel, Jörg Linstädter, Alexandra L. Kuo, Stephan Woodborne, Ayanda Mabuza and Gregor D. Bader, 24 October 2024, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53050-6
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