Pinnacle Point shell beads and ochre-processing evidence

Record summary

The Pinnacle Point complex has produced Middle Stone Age evidence including marine-shell use, ochre processing and coastal adaptation, with major publications continuing after 2010. It is valuable for comparing early shoreline exploitation, pigment technologies and personal ornamentation with inland African sequences. Different caves and layers have different dates and artifact associations, so “Pinnacle Point” is not one homogeneous assemblage. The functional and symbolic interpretation of shells and ochre remains open, and coastal resources may reflect subsistence, technology, identity or several uses together.