New Research at Mirabib Rockshelter

Abstract

Mirabib Rockshelter, located near the Kuiseb River in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, is one of the best known archaeological sites in the Namib Desert. Previous excavations in the 1970s revealed a complex history of occupation stretching from the early Holocene until the proto-historical period. New research at Mirabib has pushed its chronology back to ca. 18–21 ka BP and revealed new insights into human adaptations in the region. While the site has yielded exceptionally well-preserved evidence going back to the terminal Pleistocene, there is still a great deal of untapped potential for learning more about human life in the Namib in the distant past.