»Austrian Archaeology in South Africa«

Rose Cottage Cave (South Africa) is considered a key site for the Middle and Later Stone Age in southern Africa, with a unique archaeological archive ranging from approximately 100,000 years ago until the 19^th century. It is the only excavated sheltered site in the eastern Free State that contains a long well-dated stratigraphic sequence.

Following in the pioneering footsteps of earlier scientific accomplishments, especially by Prof. Lyn Wadley from 1987 to 1998, new excavations, for the first time under Austrian-South African leadership, and analyses are conducted since 2023 to expand knowledge about technological achievements, cultural developments, human-environmental interactions and knowledge transfer in a (supra-)regional context.

The event ‘Austrian Archaeology in South Africa’ will provide information on the ongoing fieldwork at Rose Cottage Cave as well as on the latest insights on lithic technology, resource management, site formation and preservation of sedimentary ancient DNA. The symposium offers the opportunity to consolidate the newly established cooperation between the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of the Witwatersrand, including the Austrian Embassy and the newly founded Austrian Cultural Forum in Pretoria, and to pay tribute to Prof. Wadley for her outstanding scientific efforts at Rose Cottage Cave.