Did Our Ancestors Find South Africa's Interior More Hospitable?
A new study suggests that South Africa's interior may have been more hospitable to human populations during the last two glacial periods than previously thought. The research shows that the region likely played host to human populations living around a series of paleolakes. The researchers used a variety of technologies to date and reconstruct these ancient lakes, shorelines, and lake bottom deposits, and to recreate the landscape of the region. The study may challenge the idea that favorable conditions for hunter-gatherers were confined to the coastline but probably characterized many regions as climates changed, including the interior, current-day desert.