Definition
The Lebombo bone is a prehistoric artifact consisting of a baboon fibula with a series of spaced notches. It is interpreted as one of the oldest known examples of a tally or counting device, dated to roughly 44,000–43,000 years ago.
Overview
Discovered in 1956 by South African paleoanthropologist Phillip V. Tobias in the Lebombo Mountains region of present‑day South Africa, the object is housed at the University of the Witwatersrand. Radiocarbon and stratigraphic analyses place the bone in the Middle Stone Age, making it contemporaneous with early modern human populations in southern Africa. Its purpose remains a subject of scholarly discussion, with the prevailing hypothesis that the notches represent a systematic counting or record‑keeping practice.
Etymology/Origin
The name derives from the Lebombo (or Lubombo) mountain range that forms part of the border between South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique. “Bone” simply describes the material from which the artifact is made.
Characteristics
- Material: Fibula of a baboon (Papio spp.), a robust limb bone suitable for incising.
- Dimensions: Approximately 150 mm in length; the notched section spans roughly 80 mm.
- Notches: Forty‑four distinct, shallow grooves spaced at irregular intervals along one side of the bone.
- Age: Estimated at 44,000–43,000 years old, based on associated archaeological layers and dating techniques.
- Condition: The bone is partially fragmented but retains the majority of its notched surface; wear patterns suggest limited post‑depositional disturbance.
Related Topics
- Tally sticks and other prehistoric counting artifacts (e.g., the Ishango bone)
- Middle Stone Age archaeology of southern Africa
- Cognitive evolution and numerical cognition in early Homo sapiens
- Paleoanthropology of the Lebombo region
- Use of animal bones in prehistoric toolmaking and symbolic behavior