Blombos Cave

archaeological site, South Africa

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July 23, 2026

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Blombos Cave is an archaeological site in South Africa that has yielded significant evidence of early human behavior. Excavations have uncovered artifacts dating back as far as 100,000 years ago, including shell beads and engraved ochre, suggesting symbolic thought and artistic expression among early Homo sapiens. These findings are crucial for understanding the development of cognitive abilities and culture in prehistoric humans. The site provides insights into the Middle Stone Age in Africa, a period characterized by technological innovation and the emergence of modern human behavior.123

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Homo sapiens
Behavioral influences
At Blombos Cave, near Africa’s southern tip, was found an ochre plaque more than 70,000 years old that is engraved with an unmistakably geometric motif. This and other early African sites have produced engraved ostrich eggshells and snail shells pierced for stringing and bodily adornment; these…
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At Blombos Cave, near Africa’s southern tip, was found an ochre plaque more than 70,000 years old that is engraved with an unmistakably geometric motif. This and other early African sites have produced engraved ostrich eggshells and snail shells pierced for stringing and bodily adornment; these…
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rock art
Africa
…the early 21st century: in Blombos Cave, near the coast in Western Cape province, archaeologists found pieces of ocher that were engraved with designs more than 75,000 years ago.
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…the early 21st century: in Blombos Cave, near the coast in Western Cape province, archaeologists found pieces of ocher that were engraved with designs more than 75,000 years ago.
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