Everyday Life and Activities of a Later Stone Age Community at Beefa Cave (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia)

Beefa Cave is a site that is part of the Melka Kunture archaeological complex located in the Ethiopian Highlands in the upper Awash River Valley. Excavations have revealed a sequence of ashy levels dating to the mid-Holocene. Lithic artifacts, faunal remains, undiagnostic pottery, and micro- and macrobotanical remains were recovered. The lithic assemblage of Beefa Cave is analyzed here using a techno-typological approach, combined with use-wear and residue analysis, and results are further contextualized with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data. Preliminary results provide initial insights into the occupation of the cave, establishing a starting point for studying Holocene settlement and economy on a regional basis and from a diachronic perspective.