ABSTRACT

This article describes the mineralogy and sources for a spectacular stone bead industry associated with the first pastoralists in eastern Africa ca. 5000–4000 cal b.p. Around Lake Turkana, northwest Kenya, early pastoralists constructed at least seven mortuary monuments with platforms, pillars, cairns, and stone circles. Three sites—Lothagam North, Manemanya, and Jarigole—have yielded assemblages of stone and ostrich eggshell beads that adorned interred individuals. Mineralogical identification of the stone beads reveals patterns of material selection, including notable differences among the pillar sites. Geological sourcing indicates use of many local raw materials and two (amazonite and fluorite) whose known sources lie > 200 km away. The data suggest that bead-making represented a significant investment by early pastoralists in personal ornamentation. New sociopolitical factors emerged, such as access to grazing grounds and water, and definitions of self and society manifested in novel mortuary traditions as people coped with a drying, cooling climate.

摘要

本文描述了与大约 1900 年东非第一批牧民相关的壮观石珠产业的矿物学和来源。5000–4000卡bp。在肯尼亚西北部的图尔卡纳湖周围，早期的牧民建造了至少七个带有平台、柱子、石标和石圈的太平间纪念碑。洛萨加姆北 (Lothagam North)、马内曼亚 (Manemanya) 和贾里戈勒 (Jarigole) 三个遗址出土了石头和鸵鸟蛋壳珠的组合，这些珠子装饰着埋葬的人。石珠的矿物学鉴定揭示了材料选择的模式，包括石柱地点之间的显着差异。地质采购表明使用许多当地原材料，其中两种（天河石和萤石）的已知来源位于 > 200 公里之外。数据表明，珠子制作代表了早期牧民对个人装饰的重大投资。新的社会政治因素出现，例如获得牧场和水、