Sangoan

The Sangoan is a prehistoric stone tool industry from sub-Saharan Africa. It dates to a time between about 500,000 and 300,000 years ago, during the later part of what scientists call the Early Stone Age and the beginning of the Middle Stone Age. The tools were first found in the 1920s at Sango Bay in Uganda.

These tools were heavy and strong, made from large stones. They include picks, core axes, choppers, and scrapers. People probably used them for tasks like working with wood or digging for food.

Archaeologists have found Sangoan tools in many different places, from rainforest areas to woodland and savanna regions. The tools have been discovered across East Africa, Central Africa, and even possibly in parts of northern Africa and near the Mediterranean. Scientists are still learning about how these tools were made and what they mean for understanding early human history.

Definition

The term Sangoan was first used to describe tools found at Sango Bay, on the western shore of Lake Victoria in Uganda, in the 1920s. These tools are heavy and thick, such as core axes, choppers, and scrapers, and have been found in many parts of Africa.

Archaeologists consider the Sangoan to be part of a time when humans used stone tools for tasks like digging, chopping, and working with wood. They also used tools made from bone and antler. The Sangoan is seen as a time between the Early Stone Age and the Middle Stone Age. These tools may have come from earlier ways of making tools, like the Acheulean, and helped lead to newer, more advanced tools.

Dating and chronology

The exact timing of the Sangoan industry is still unclear because there are not many places where the tools were found in layers that can be easily studied. Also, there are not many old bones or other materials that can help scientists figure out the age using special tools.

Scientists have tried different ways to estimate when the Sangoan tools were made. One method looks at the light that has been stored in the soil, which suggests the tools might have been used between about 500,000 and 300,000 years ago.

Findings from places like Zambia and South Africa support this time frame. Even though some areas do not show the Sangoan tools, others suggest they were used as early as 500,000 years ago. Studies from Sudan and Côte d'Ivoire also give clues about when these tools might have been made, but more work is needed to know exactly when.

Geographic distribution

The Sangoan industry has been found in many places across sub-Saharan Africa. Important locations include Uganda, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Zambia. Special sites like Kalambo Falls in Zambia and Sango Bay in Uganda helped scientists understand these ancient tools.

These tools have also been discovered from Botswana to Ethiopia, and from Uganda to Angola. They have even been found in the Kalahari Desert and the forests of the Congo Basin. Some sites in the Middle Nile Valley, such as Khor Abu Anga and Sai 8-B-11, show that people in different areas used the Sangoan tools in various ways. This might be because the environment changed and more people moved into the area during a time called Marine Isotope Stage 7.

Some researchers think the Sangoan tools might have reached as far as the Mediterranean coast and even the island of Crete, but this idea is still being discussed. The Sangoan tools share some features with other tool-making styles, like the Lupemban, and were used in the same areas.

Environmental context and ecological adaptation

The Sangoan industry was found in many different places across sub-Saharan Africa, showing that the people who used these tools could live in many kinds of environments. These tools have been found in places with thick tropical forests, wide open savannas, and everything in between. In some areas of Central Africa, these tools were used where it rained a lot each year, while in other places in East and Southern Africa, they were used where it was much drier.

Different experts have different ideas about where the Sangoan tools were mostly used. Some think they were mainly used in forested areas, while others found evidence that they were also used in open grasslands. These different findings show that the people who made Sangoan tools could adapt to many different living conditions. This flexibility helped early humans survive during changes in climate and environment.

Sangoan industry and tool technology

The Sangoan industry is known for its heavy-duty tools such as core axes, picks, choppers, and scrapers. These tools were made by hitting large stones with another stone, using materials like quartzite or sandstone. Unlike the carefully shaped tools from earlier times, Sangoan tools have a simpler, stronger look.

Core axes and picks are common tools in this industry. Core axes have a symmetrical shape, while picks are usually more pointed and less shaped. Scientists still debate whether picks and core axes are different tools or just variations of the same type. The Sangoan toolkit also includes flakes, cleavers, points, knives, and scrapers, but these smaller tools are rarely found.

Researchers believe these sturdy tools were likely used for tasks like working with wood or digging in the ground, rather than showing a drop in skill. The Sangoan tools might represent a special way of making tools for specific needs in certain environments. Even after many years of study, there is still discussion about where the Sangoan fits in the history of early tool use in Africa.

Debates and unresolved questions

Even after many years of study, there are still questions about the Sangoan industry. One big question is how to tell it apart from the Lupemban industry. Both are from the Middle Stone Age and are found in similar places, especially forests. But it can be hard to know which is which because the rules for telling them apart are not always clear.

The Lupemban often has special tools shaped like leaves, while the Sangoan has heavier tools like picks and core axes. However, because both use similar ways to make tools, it can be tricky to tell them apart when the special shapes are missing.

The Sangoan is also hard to study because many places where these tools were found have unclear layers of soil or lack good materials for dating. Plus, most of the tools found are big and heavy, which doesn’t give a full picture of how they were used.

Some researchers wonder if the Sangoan is a real, separate way of making tools, or just a name for different tool groups from the same time. Recent work at places like the Kapthurin Formation might help us understand better. For now, the Sangoan stays one of the most puzzling parts of early tool-making history.