Revised Interpretation: Middle Stone Age Occupation Without Definitive Dating. Coulson clarified that 2006 media stories were misleading journalism, not from her papers In 2011, Coulson published a thorough paper with conservative conclusions The 70,000-year-old ritual site claim was dropped in the revised publication
Coulson's 2011 paper dropped the 70,000-year claim. The cave shows Middle Stone Age occupation with rock outcrop modification—conservative conclusions this time. Tsodilo Hills is the only outcrop for over 100 km, with freshwater springs. Spearheads appear purposefully burnt and damaged, possibly ritual destruction. Specific dating remains uncertain. ⛏️
Key Facts
- Coulson clarified that 2006 media stories were misleading journalism, not from her papers
- In 2011, Coulson published a thorough paper with conservative conclusions
- The 70,000-year-old ritual site claim was dropped in the revised publication
- The cave was occupied during the Middle Stone Age with evidence of rock outcrop modification
- Tsodilo Hills is the only outcrop for over 100 km in any direction, containing freshwater springs
- Middle Stone Age spearheads of many colors are found in abundance and appear purposefully burnt and damaged
- Quartzite fragments from the snake rock were found among Middle Stone Age artifacts
- Specific dating of the artifacts remains uncertain - they could be 70,000 years old or far younger
- The cave was occupied sometime before 25,000 years ago and continued as a focal point for many centuries
Related site: Tsodilo Hills — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The 70,000-YEAR-OLD Carved Stone Snake & the ‘Mountain of the Gods’ by Ancient Architects