A Later Stone Age water world
In the Kafue Flats of Zambia, a series of geothermal springs create a unique environment that has preserved a detailed record of human life from thousands of years ago. The Gwisho Hot-Springs are a collection of archaeological sites, primarily Gwisho A, B, and C, located within what is now Lochinvar National Park. The significance of these sites comes from the waterlogged, anaerobic conditions created by the springs. These oxygen-poor deposits, combined with mineral-rich water, inhibited decay and preserved organic materials that are almost never found at other Later Stone Age sites in southern Africa.
Excavations, first by J. Desmond Clark in 1957 and later by Creighton Gabel and others in the 1960s, uncovered settlements intensely occupied between about 4,800 and 4,300 years ago. Radiocarbon dating of organic materials like wood, charcoal, and grass layers places the main human activity between 2835 BCE and 1710 BCE. People who lived here are associated with the Wilton stone tool industry, a culture of hunter-gatherers who thrived in the region. The skeletal remains of approximately 35 individuals were found, showing physical characteristics similar to modern Khoisan peoples.