Diepkloof Rock Shelter — Engraved Ostrich Eggs
Diepkloof
Middle Stone Age (130–45 ka, engraved eggs 60 ka)·Still Bay–Howiesons Poort Homo sapiens·🇿🇦 Western Cape / Verlorenvlei, South Africa
About
About Diepkloof Rock Shelter — Engraved Ostrich Eggs
Diepkloof Rock Shelter is the 25 m quartzite shelter above Verlorenvlei 15 km E of Elands Bay with 130–45 ka MSA stratigraphy and 270 fragments of engraved ostrich eggshell containers (60 ka Howiesons Poort) with geometric rhomboid and cross-hatch — earliest graphic tradition. Texier (Bordeaux) found 12 complete eggs as water canteens. Still Bay below Howiesons Poort. Annual vlei reflood monitored. UNESCO 2024.
Why it mattersEarliest geometric engraving tradition 60 ka on perishable eggshell showing codified symbols.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Meaning of rhomboid vs cross-hatch motifs
- 02Were eggs canteens or symbolic?
Theories
- 01Engravings as group identity marking (Texier)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Not built — Table Mountain quartzite rock shelter
- Period
- Middle Stone Age (130–45 ka, engraved eggs 60 ka)
- Culture
- Still Bay–Howiesons Poort Homo sapiens
- Builders
- MSA foragers
- Purpose
- Shelter for ostrich-eggshell engraving and silcrete heating, vlei resource camp
- Abandoned
- c.45 ka dune closure
- Rediscovered
- 1973 Parkington; 1998 Texier
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
130 ka
Basal Still Bay occupancy
60 ka
Engraved eggs horizon
1998
Texier systematic engraving study
On the ground
Structures & features
32.3860° S · 18.4510° E · 42 m · 3 mapped features
Howiesons Poort Engraved Eggs Layer (60 ka)
rock art60 ka level with 270 engraved ostrich eggs fragments with rhomboid lattices
32.3855° S · 18.4515° EStill Bay Silcrete Heating Hearths
hearth110 ka horizon with 50+ heat-treated silcrete points and grinding stones
32.3865° S · 18.4505° EVerlorenvlei Estuary Lookout
viewpointShelter mouth viewpoint 30 m above 15 km vlei estuary, resource panorama
32.3868° S · 18.4520° E