User:RobbyGreg/Choose an Article

Article Selection
Please list articles that you're considering for your Wikipedia assignment below. Begin to critique these articles and find relevant sources.

Option 1

 * Article title
 * Nelson Bay Cave
 * Article Evaluation
 * The Nelson Bay Cave article discusses the significant of this archaeological cave site in light of the array of faunal remains associated with this site and its vicinity to the ocean. However, this page does not have a detailed introduction to the topic and no distinct sections. Some topics that appear throughout this article include the significance that the ocean plays in human behaviors, different stone technologies, and faunal remains. However, there is no introduction or separation between these topics. In total, there are only three paragraphs and seven references assigned to this topic, including the references I added myself. Of the references present, they are adequate scholarly sources but do not support every claim and do not provide a large net covering all of the historic and recent information on Nelson Bay Cave.
 * For the Nelson Bay Cave article page, adding additional references to this page could help to support information and break up topics like human behavior, stone technology, and diets. This would be one of the major changes I would make to this page. Specifically, the lead of this article mentions the 125,000 year occupation but only focuses on the last 20,000 years. To fully cover the entire range, there will have to be a section on different stone technology, interpretations of human behavior, especially associated with the rise and fall of sea level, and the associated dietary habits of the inhabitants at Nelson Bay Cave.
 * There is very little activity on the talk page and few edits made in the past decade that this page has existed. Overall, this page lacks important information and sources that would benefit from further edits and additions.
 * Sources
 * Deacon, J. (1978). Changing Patterns in the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Prehistory of Southern Africa as Seen from the Nelson Bay Cave Stone Artifact Sequence. Quaternary Research, 10(1), 84-111. doi:10.1016/0033-5894(78)90015-7
 * Inskeep, R. R., Avery, G., Klein, R. G., Morris, A. G., Poggenpoel, C. A., & Vogel, J. C. (1987). Nelson Bay Cave, Cape Province, South Africa: the Holocene levels. BAR.
 * Klein, R. (1972). The Late Quaternary Mammalian Fauna of Nelson Bay Cave (Cape Province, South Africa): Its Implications for Megafaunal Extinctions and Environmental and Cultural Change. Quaternary Research, 2(2), 135-142. doi:10.1016/0033-5894(72)90034-8
 * Loftus, E., Sealy, J., & Lee-Thorp, J. (2016). New Radiocarbon Dates and Bayesian Models for Nelson Bay Cave and Byneskranskop 1: Implications for the South African Later Stone Age Sequence. Radiocarbon, 58(2), 365-381. doi:10.1017/RDC.2016.12
 * Loftus, E., Lee-Thorp, J., Leng, M., Marean, C., & Sealy, J. (2019). Seasonal scheduling of shellfish collection in the Middle and Later Stone Ages of southern Africa. Journal of human evolution, 128, 1-16.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23.
 * Klein, R. (1972). The Late Quaternary Mammalian Fauna of Nelson Bay Cave (Cape Province, South Africa): Its Implications for Megafaunal Extinctions and Environmental and Cultural Change. Quaternary Research, 2(2), 135-142. doi:10.1016/0033-5894(72)90034-8
 * Loftus, E., Sealy, J., & Lee-Thorp, J. (2016). New Radiocarbon Dates and Bayesian Models for Nelson Bay Cave and Byneskranskop 1: Implications for the South African Later Stone Age Sequence. Radiocarbon, 58(2), 365-381. doi:10.1017/RDC.2016.12
 * Loftus, E., Lee-Thorp, J., Leng, M., Marean, C., & Sealy, J. (2019). Seasonal scheduling of shellfish collection in the Middle and Later Stone Ages of southern Africa. Journal of human evolution, 128, 1-16.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23.
 * Loftus, E., Lee-Thorp, J., Leng, M., Marean, C., & Sealy, J. (2019). Seasonal scheduling of shellfish collection in the Middle and Later Stone Ages of southern Africa. Journal of human evolution, 128, 1-16.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23.
 * Loftus, E., Lee-Thorp, J., Leng, M., Marean, C., & Sealy, J. (2019). Seasonal scheduling of shellfish collection in the Middle and Later Stone Ages of southern Africa. Journal of human evolution, 128, 1-16.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23.

Option 2

 * Article title
 * Wilton culture


 * Article Evaluation
 * Overall, the Wilton culture article is underdeveloped and requires substantial corrections, edits, and additions to be considered complete and reliable. This article is currently classified as a stub article, which means that there is very little done, many errors or unsupported information, and lacks adequate information. The article has very few strengths. The article defines Wilton as a physical culture. Historically, archaeologists have used stone tools to define physical culture, but this is not considered acceptable today. Therefore, one of the greatest weaknesses of this article is that the literature is not up to date. In a discipline like archaeology, theories and ideas get disproven constantly. These changes lead to altered concepts and notions that, if not kept up to date, risk leading people in the wrong direction. Therefore, the main improvement that this article needs is a more extensive review of the history for the term Wilton, how archaeologists describe it from past to present. Additional topics I would add to this topic is a more extensive review of dates and types of stone technology associated with Wilton and which behaviors archaeologists actually associate with these assemblages, including demography, land use, and/or diets.
 * This article is ultimately incomplete in all topics including content, balance, updated and relevant sources, organization, images and media, and active discussion. Many archaeologists recognize Wilton as an important transition from later Stone Age foragers to descendent communities that live in Africa today, this topic is in need of extensive edits and additions.
 * This article is ultimately incomplete in all topics including content, balance, updated and relevant sources, organization, images and media, and active discussion. Many archaeologists recognize Wilton as an important transition from later Stone Age foragers to descendent communities that live in Africa today, this topic is in need of extensive edits and additions.


 * Sources
 * Deacon, J. (1972). Wilton: an assessment after fifty years. The South African Archaeological Bulletin, 27(105/106), 10-48.
 * Deacon, J. (1974). Patterning in the radiocarbon dates for the Wilton/Smithfield complex in southern Africa. The South African Archaeological Bulletin, 29(113/114), 3-18.
 * Guillemard, I., & Porraz, G. (2019). What is a Wilton scraper? Perspectives from the Late Holocene assemblage of Balerno Main Shelter, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Southern African Humanities, 32, 135-162.
 * Sealy, J. (2016). Cultural change, demography, and the archaeology of the last 100 kyr in southern Africa. Africa from MIS 6-2: population dynamics and paleoenvironments, 65-75.
 * Wadley, L. (2001). Wilton. Encyclopedia of Prehistory: Volume 1: Africa, 346-353.
 * Wurz, S. (2019). Human evolution, archaeology and the South African Stone Age landscape during the last 100,000 years. The geography of South Africa: Contemporary changes and new directions, 125-132.
 * Sealy, J. (2016). Cultural change, demography, and the archaeology of the last 100 kyr in southern Africa. Africa from MIS 6-2: population dynamics and paleoenvironments, 65-75.
 * Wadley, L. (2001). Wilton. Encyclopedia of Prehistory: Volume 1: Africa, 346-353.
 * Wurz, S. (2019). Human evolution, archaeology and the South African Stone Age landscape during the last 100,000 years. The geography of South Africa: Contemporary changes and new directions, 125-132.
 * Wurz, S. (2019). Human evolution, archaeology and the South African Stone Age landscape during the last 100,000 years. The geography of South Africa: Contemporary changes and new directions, 125-132.
 * Wurz, S. (2019). Human evolution, archaeology and the South African Stone Age landscape during the last 100,000 years. The geography of South Africa: Contemporary changes and new directions, 125-132.

Option 3

 * Article title
 * PaleoAgulhas Plain


 * Article Evaluation
 * This topic is one that does not exist on Wikipedia yet but is references for its geography in Agulhas Bank and its affect on ocean currents in Agulhas Current. I feel that a topic on the affect that this, now submerged plain, had on past human and hominin behaviors would be a great addition to current Wikipedia articles that discuss the geology, climate, and geography of this region.
 * For a lead to this article topic, I would heavily draw from current articles that help to situate this landform in geologic time and location. I would then define the climate that drives the submergence of this plain and then, the affect this had on paleoecology of South Africa. Discussions on the ecology would then lead straight into hominin and human behaviors on this plain. This would include topics in the diets, mobility, and resource procurement strategies. Additionally, the PaleoAgulhas plain would bring in references from additional archaeological sites along the coast such as Nelson Bay Cave on the Robberg Peninsula, which, the peninsula itself does not have an entry on Wikipedia.
 * The PaleoAgulhas plain is important for its affect on forager behaviors when it was above sea level but also for its affect on climate when it is submerged. As Agulhas Current alludes to, the currents of this submerged plain affect the climate and rainfall regimes of present-day South Africa. The implications for this is major impact on humans behavior and resource acquisition over the past 15,000 years. Also, under the theory of Uniformitarianism, this impact would extend much further back into the prehistoric time spanning the last two million years. So, overall, this article could introduce the human sphere into current topics on its geographic location and geological significance.
 * The PaleoAgulhas plain is important for its affect on forager behaviors when it was above sea level but also for its affect on climate when it is submerged. As Agulhas Current alludes to, the currents of this submerged plain affect the climate and rainfall regimes of present-day South Africa. The implications for this is major impact on humans behavior and resource acquisition over the past 15,000 years. Also, under the theory of Uniformitarianism, this impact would extend much further back into the prehistoric time spanning the last two million years. So, overall, this article could introduce the human sphere into current topics on its geographic location and geological significance.
 * The PaleoAgulhas plain is important for its affect on forager behaviors when it was above sea level but also for its affect on climate when it is submerged. As Agulhas Current alludes to, the currents of this submerged plain affect the climate and rainfall regimes of present-day South Africa. The implications for this is major impact on humans behavior and resource acquisition over the past 15,000 years. Also, under the theory of Uniformitarianism, this impact would extend much further back into the prehistoric time spanning the last two million years. So, overall, this article could introduce the human sphere into current topics on its geographic location and geological significance.


 * Sources
 * Carr, A. S., Thomas, D. S., Bateman, M. D., Meadows, M. E., & Chase, B. (2006). Late Quaternary palaeoenvironments of the winter-rainfall zone of southern Africa: palynological and sedimentological evidence from the Agulhas Plain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 239(1-2), 147-165.
 * Copeland, S. R., Cawthra, H. C., Fisher, E. C., Lee-Thorp, J. A., Cowling, R. M., Le Roux, P. J., ... & Marean, C. W. (2016). Strontium isotope investigation of ungulate movement patterns on the Pleistocene Paleo-Agulhas plain of the Greater Cape floristic region, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 141, 65-84.
 * Cowling, R. M., Potts, A. J., Franklin, J., Midgley, G. F., Engelbrecht, F., & Marean, C. W. (2020). Describing a drowned Pleistocene ecosystem: last Glacial Maximum vegetation reconstruction of the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 105866.
 * Marean, C. W., Cowling, R. M., & Franklin, J. (2020). The Palaeo-Agulhas Plain: Temporal and spatial variation in an extraordinary extinct ecosystem of the Pleistocene of the Cape Floristic Region. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 106161.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235.
 * Wren, C. D., Botha, S., De Vynck, J., Janssen, M. A., Hill, K., Shook, E., ... & Marean, C. W. (2020). The foraging potential of the Holocene Cape south coast of South Africa without the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 105789.
 * Marean, C. W., Cowling, R. M., & Franklin, J. (2020). The Palaeo-Agulhas Plain: Temporal and spatial variation in an extraordinary extinct ecosystem of the Pleistocene of the Cape Floristic Region. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 106161.
 * Sealy, J., Naidoo, N., Hare, V. J., Brunton, S., & Faith, J. T. (2020). Climate and ecology of the palaeo-Agulhas Plain from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in bovid tooth enamel from Nelson Bay Cave, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235.
 * Wren, C. D., Botha, S., De Vynck, J., Janssen, M. A., Hill, K., Shook, E., ... & Marean, C. W. (2020). The foraging potential of the Holocene Cape south coast of South Africa without the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 105789.
 * Wren, C. D., Botha, S., De Vynck, J., Janssen, M. A., Hill, K., Shook, E., ... & Marean, C. W. (2020). The foraging potential of the Holocene Cape south coast of South Africa without the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 105789.
 * Wren, C. D., Botha, S., De Vynck, J., Janssen, M. A., Hill, K., Shook, E., ... & Marean, C. W. (2020). The foraging potential of the Holocene Cape south coast of South Africa without the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Quaternary Science Reviews, 235, 105789.

Option 4

 * Article title
 * Lesotho Highlands Water Project


 * Article Evaluation
 * The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is not a directly relevant archaeological topic but is an important event that has pushed archaeology of the Lesotho Highlands forward. This would be a topic that would extend the human sphere in several articles such as the Drakensberg article that Lesotho lies in. For the Lesotho Highlands Water Project article, I would discuss the archaeological reports and significance that occurred in direct relation to this project. Specifically, I would discuss archaeological surveys that as a result of this project that have helped archaeologists understand prehistory in Lesotho. Currently, there is no mention of the archaeological program in the Lesotho Highlands and so, this would be important for bringing the awareness to archaeologists and non-archaeologists alike. I would then references articles like Drakensberg to continue discussions on the affect that this montane environment had on human behaviors.
 * Drakensberg does briefly cover human occupation in this region over but really focuses on the San cave art, which is only that past few thousands of years. Furthermore, human occupation in the Drakensberg is only a paragraph long, is not supported by scholarly sources and is not up to date. I would add more detailed information about occupation histories dating to 80,000 years and a more in depth look into how humans used the Drakensberg mountainous area. Since the Drakensberg article discusses the fauna, flora, and geology, I feel that I could easily add discussion topics about the resources past peoples used in this region, changes in climate, and the significance to finding human occupations in montane environments.
 * There are already great pictures associated with both Lesotho Highlands Water Project and Drakensberg, but these articles do not contain adequate information about exploring human occupations of this region and both do not have an active talk page or active editing histories. For this reason, I feel that I could add the significance of human occupation in this area to both of these articles and possibly more that I find while I edit through these.
 * There are already great pictures associated with both Lesotho Highlands Water Project and Drakensberg, but these articles do not contain adequate information about exploring human occupations of this region and both do not have an active talk page or active editing histories. For this reason, I feel that I could add the significance of human occupation in this area to both of these articles and possibly more that I find while I edit through these.
 * There are already great pictures associated with both Lesotho Highlands Water Project and Drakensberg, but these articles do not contain adequate information about exploring human occupations of this region and both do not have an active talk page or active editing histories. For this reason, I feel that I could add the significance of human occupation in this area to both of these articles and possibly more that I find while I edit through these.


 * Sources
 * Arthur, C., & Mitchell, P. J. (2010). The archaeology of the Metolong Dam, Lesotho: a preliminary assessment. Antiquity, 84(325), 13-45.
 * Arthur, C., Mohapi, M., & Mitchell, P. (2011). Archaeology and dam projects in Lesotho. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, 13(2-3), 231-252.
 * King, R., Arthur, C., & Mitchell, P. (2014). Ha Makoanyane: the archaeology and history of colonial transitions in Lesotho. Southern African Humanities, 26(1), 57-81.
 * King, R., & Eoin, L. N. (2014). Before the flood: loss of place, mnemonics, and ‘resources’ ahead of the Metolong Dam, Lesotho. Journal of Social Archaeology, 14(2), 196-223.
 * Mallen, L., Pearce, D., Arthur, C., & Mitchell, P. (2022). The rock arts of Metolong: Paintings, archaeology and cultural resource management in western Lesotho. Journal of African Archaeology, 20(2), 176-201.
 * Mitchell, P. (2017). Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t: archaeology and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Managing Heritage in Africa, 161-176.
 * King, R., & Eoin, L. N. (2014). Before the flood: loss of place, mnemonics, and ‘resources’ ahead of the Metolong Dam, Lesotho. Journal of Social Archaeology, 14(2), 196-223.
 * Mallen, L., Pearce, D., Arthur, C., & Mitchell, P. (2022). The rock arts of Metolong: Paintings, archaeology and cultural resource management in western Lesotho. Journal of African Archaeology, 20(2), 176-201.
 * Mitchell, P. (2017). Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t: archaeology and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Managing Heritage in Africa, 161-176.
 * Mitchell, P. (2017). Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t: archaeology and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Managing Heritage in Africa, 161-176.
 * Mitchell, P. (2017). Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t: archaeology and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Managing Heritage in Africa, 161-176.

Option 5

 * Article title
 * Karoo (Or Karoo Archaeology)


 * Article Evaluation
 * The Karoo article focuses discussions on the geography, geology, climate, and prehistoric fauna and flora of this semidesert region of South Africa; however, there are no discussions on the prehistoric human settlements in this region. In fact, the Karoo article begins its discussion on human history beginning with European explorers in the 17th century. As such, this article implies that this region was untouched by humans until Europeans arrived in the mid-1600s. Therefore, I feel that this article would greatly benefit from an extended discussion on prehistoric human settlements of this region well before Europeans. These area does remain one of the lesser studies archaeological regions but there are still several studies and site reports that describe behaviors of foragers in the Karoo.
 * In my discussion of human occupation in the Karoo, I would discuss prehistoric settlement and behaviors up through historic settlements (all interpreted through archaeological data). The Karoo lies just beyond the Cape Fold Belt and thus, exhibits a very different environment than areas closer to the ocean. The Cape Fold Belt acts as a barrier for precipitation and so, results in the semiarid environments that archaeologists associate with the Karoo. Since the current Wikipedia article has an extensive discussion on the environment and geology of this region, I would be able to bring in discussion topics like the effect climate had on human behavior and resource procurement strategies. Furthermore, since there are several resources that discuss prehistoric and historic sources, I could fit these topics in before the current discussion on European contact, adding depth to the human history of this region.
 * This article already has a lengthy talk page, though not recent with the most recent discussion dating to March of 2022. This is also rated a level-5 vital article in geography but a C-class for South Africa. So, it appears that the primary focus of this article is in geography. For this reason, I would also consider creating a separate page that only talks about the prehistoric and historic occupations of the Karoo. However, given the biased nature of human history in this region, I feel that this topic would greatly benefit from a more in-depth analysis of archaeologically inferred prehistoric and historic occupation histories.
 * This article already has a lengthy talk page, though not recent with the most recent discussion dating to March of 2022. This is also rated a level-5 vital article in geography but a C-class for South Africa. So, it appears that the primary focus of this article is in geography. For this reason, I would also consider creating a separate page that only talks about the prehistoric and historic occupations of the Karoo. However, given the biased nature of human history in this region, I feel that this topic would greatly benefit from a more in-depth analysis of archaeologically inferred prehistoric and historic occupation histories.
 * This article already has a lengthy talk page, though not recent with the most recent discussion dating to March of 2022. This is also rated a level-5 vital article in geography but a C-class for South Africa. So, it appears that the primary focus of this article is in geography. For this reason, I would also consider creating a separate page that only talks about the prehistoric and historic occupations of the Karoo. However, given the biased nature of human history in this region, I feel that this topic would greatly benefit from a more in-depth analysis of archaeologically inferred prehistoric and historic occupation histories.


 * Sources
 * Emily Hallinan. (2022) Landscape-scale perspectives on Later Stone Age settlement in the Tankwa Karoo, South Africa. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa 57:4, pages 419-462.
 * Sharma J. Saitowitz, & Sampson, C. G. (1992). Glass Trade Beads from Rock Shelters in the Upper Karoo. The South African Archaeological Bulletin, 47(156), 94–103. https://doi.org/10.2307/3889204
 * Emily Hallinan & Matthew Shaw. 2015. A new Middle Stone Age industry in the Tankwa Karoo, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Antiquity Project Gallery 89(344)
 * Lombard, M., Badenhorst, S. A Case for Springbok Hunting with Kite-Like Structures in the Northwest Nama Karoo Bioregion of South Africa. African Archaeology Rev 36, 383–396 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-019-09345-x
 * Youngblood, D. Identification and quantification of edible plant foods in the Upper (Nama) Karoo, South Africa. Econ Bot 58 (Suppl 1), S43–S65 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2004)58 [S43:IAQOEP]2.0.CO;2
 * Emily Hallinan (2022) Landscape-scale perspectives on Later Stone Age settlement in the Tankwa Karoo, South Africa, Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 57:4, 419-462, DOI: 10.1080/0067270X.2022.2152990
 * Lombard, M., Badenhorst, S. A Case for Springbok Hunting with Kite-Like Structures in the Northwest Nama Karoo Bioregion of South Africa. African Archaeology Rev 36, 383–396 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-019-09345-x
 * Youngblood, D. Identification and quantification of edible plant foods in the Upper (Nama) Karoo, South Africa. Econ Bot 58 (Suppl 1), S43–S65 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2004)58 [S43:IAQOEP]2.0.CO;2
 * Emily Hallinan (2022) Landscape-scale perspectives on Later Stone Age settlement in the Tankwa Karoo, South Africa, Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 57:4, 419-462, DOI: 10.1080/0067270X.2022.2152990
 * Emily Hallinan (2022) Landscape-scale perspectives on Later Stone Age settlement in the Tankwa Karoo, South Africa, Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 57:4, 419-462, DOI: 10.1080/0067270X.2022.2152990