Fig 1.
Pleistocene-aged sites with marine resource evidence as mentioned in text.
The map was created using QGIS 3.12 (https://qgis.org/en/site/) and uses Natural Earth vector map data (https://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/).
Fig 2.
Southern Kenyan coast showing major physiographic divisions, bathymetric data, and mean sea level (MSL).
Dashed line in lower left sea level curve at -15 m below MSL represents mean depth of the Kilifi Creek channel. Grey shading in lower left and centre sea level curves indicates the maximum depth at the channel mouth (-38 m) and maximum channel depth at the entrance to Kilifi Creek Lagoon (-9 m).
Fig 3.
Panga ya Saidi site plan (A) and representative stratigraphic and chronological sequence (B).
Fig 4.
Proportional contribution of taxa to the total PYS molluscan assemblage (A) and the proportional contribution of taxa at family level (B).
Fig 5.
Examples of the marine and freshwater bivalve taxa recovered from PYS.
Fig 6.
Examples of the subsistence and symbolic marine gastropod taxa recovered from PYS.
Table 1.
PYS invertebrate NISP by Layer.
Table 2.
PYS invertebrate MNI by Layer.
Fig 7.
Schematic cross section of habitats on the Kenyan coast from the Dzitsoni Uplands to subtidal reefs.
Fig 8.
Shell distribution (NISP/m3) through the PYS sequence by Layer (A) and PYS assemblage richness (NTAXA) by Layer (B).
Fig 9.
Distribution (NISP/m3) through the PYS sequence by Layer of marine (A) and freshwater (B) mollusc taxa. Note differences in horizontal scales.
Fig 10.
Distribution (NISP/m3) through the PYS sequence by Layer of taxa from broadly defined habitat zones.
Intertidal/shallow subtidal rock/mangrove (A), supratidal mangrove (B), intertidal/subtidal reef/rock (C) and supratidal/upper intertidal mangrove mud (D). Note differences in horizontal scales.
Fig 11.
Distribution (NISP/m3) through the PYS sequence by Layer of economic (A) and symbolic (B) mollusc shell. White circles in (B) represent additional symbolic shell density including disc beads (as reported in d’Errico et al. [53]). Note differences in horizontal scales.
Table 3.
PYS fish quantification (NISP) by layer.