Later Stone Age and Iron Age Human Remains from Mlambalasi, Southern Tanzania

Abstract

The Mlambalasi Rock Shelter in the Iringa Region of southern Tanzania has a rich archaeological record that spans the Later Stone Age (LSA), Iron Age, and historic period. Excavations in 2002, 2006, and 2010 yielded fragmentary, commingled human remains from at least four individuals. There are two adults and a juvenile from the same LSA burial context, and another adult from the Iron Age. One middle-aged adult dated to the terminal Pleistocene LSA is potentially small-bodied, similar to the LSA populations from southern Africa. By comparison, the Iron Age individual appears larger and more robust. The skeletons also exhibit various pathological changes, particularly advanced dental wear and carious lesions. This bioarchaeological study presents the osteological findings on these individuals and interprets their context in the rock shelter. This new skeletal sample has great potential to contribute to studies of human variation in sub-Saharan Africa during the terminal Pleistocene and Holocene.