HUMAN BEGINNINGS IN SOUTH AFRICA, uncovering the secrets of the Stone Age

214pp., illus., maps, paperback, Reprint, Cape Town, (1999) 2014

"Until now, specialists and lay people who sought a comprehensive, accessible account of South Africa's contributions to global prehistory were limited; Hilary Deacon and Janette Deacon have now filled the gap with a synthesis that is not only authoritative, comprehensive, and up-to-date but that is also eminently readable. The authority of the work stems from the Deacons' deep immersion in South African archaeology over more than thirty-five years and from their internationally recognised original research at numerous South African stone age sites. The text presents archaeological findings in a way that will allow interested readers to form their own opinions." R.G. Klein, South African Archaeological Bulletin

"Written by two of the leading exponents of Stone Age archaeology in South Africa, the book is a masterly distillation of up-to-date knowledge and views about the evolution of humankind as it is expressed in the archaeology of South Africa. The scope of the work is breathtaking ... the information detailed yet highly accessible" Ray Inskeep, formerly of the University of Cape Town and the Pitt-Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

HJ. Deacon has taught at the University of Stellenbosch and lectured widely.

Janette Deacon has been the archaeologist at the National Monuments Council, South Africa, since 1989.