PANS Namib Sand Sea Project
@pans-river-namib.bsky.social
Updates from research into the Palaeolithic archaeology and its palaeoenvironmental context in the northern Namib Sand sea... #PANS (funded by The Leverhulme Trust) and #RiVER fieldwork expedition (funded by RGS Thesiger Oman Fellowship)
For #fieldworkfriday a look back at a selection of lovely Middle Stone Age lithics at ‘Huge Pan’ out in the northern Namib Sand Sea during a foggy and rainy day as part of our PANS project funded by @leverhulme.ac.uk
(all lithics were returned to found positions after this photo)
(all lithics were returned to found positions after this photo)
August 14, 2026 at 9:59 AM
For #fieldworkfriday a look back at a selection of lovely Middle Stone Age lithics at ‘Huge Pan’ out in the northern Namib Sand Sea during a foggy and rainy day as part of our PANS project funded by @leverhulme.ac.uk
(all lithics were returned to found positions after this photo)
(all lithics were returned to found positions after this photo)
Crossing the !Khuiseb last week in the way into the northwest Namib Sand Sea for the first phase of fieldwork…
July 1, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Crossing the !Khuiseb last week in the way into the northwest Namib Sand Sea for the first phase of fieldwork…
Just arrived back at Gobabeb
June 24, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Just arrived back at Gobabeb
Had an excellent day at Windy Day in Southampton today
May 29, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Had an excellent day at Windy Day in Southampton today
Reposted by PANS Namib Sand Sea Project
Enjoyed every word of Dr @abistone.bsky.social ‘s Wiley Lecture today at Day 1 of #QRA2026ADM in Brighton. On a cold winter’s day she took us to the warmth of the Namib to search for ancient hominin landscapes.
January 5, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Enjoyed every word of Dr @abistone.bsky.social ‘s Wiley Lecture today at Day 1 of #QRA2026ADM in Brighton. On a cold winter’s day she took us to the warmth of the Namib to search for ancient hominin landscapes.
Reposted by PANS Namib Sand Sea Project
and look at this dream team that conducts this research…
January 3, 2026 at 4:26 PM
and look at this dream team that conducts this research…
Using luminescence dating, @abistone.bsky.social and her colleagues aim to shine a light on a neglected part of Africa’s archaeological record, out in the remote, hyper-arid landscapes of the Namib Sand Sea. @pans-river-namib.bsky.social
👉 media.leverhulme.ac.uk/feature/astone
👉 media.leverhulme.ac.uk/feature/astone
September 30, 2025 at 1:20 PM
#fieldworkfriday
Digging holes at the site of Narabeb West.
We’ll test whether the timing of water here aligns with it’s neighbouring interdune ‘Narabeb’, where the earliest preserved phase is 230 to 220 thousand years ago.
👀 on Narabeb➡️ doi.org/10.1016/j.qs...
Watch this space for Narabeb West…
Digging holes at the site of Narabeb West.
We’ll test whether the timing of water here aligns with it’s neighbouring interdune ‘Narabeb’, where the earliest preserved phase is 230 to 220 thousand years ago.
👀 on Narabeb➡️ doi.org/10.1016/j.qs...
Watch this space for Narabeb West…
September 12, 2025 at 11:08 AM
#fieldworkfriday
Digging holes at the site of Narabeb West.
We’ll test whether the timing of water here aligns with it’s neighbouring interdune ‘Narabeb’, where the earliest preserved phase is 230 to 220 thousand years ago.
👀 on Narabeb➡️ doi.org/10.1016/j.qs...
Watch this space for Narabeb West…
Digging holes at the site of Narabeb West.
We’ll test whether the timing of water here aligns with it’s neighbouring interdune ‘Narabeb’, where the earliest preserved phase is 230 to 220 thousand years ago.
👀 on Narabeb➡️ doi.org/10.1016/j.qs...
Watch this space for Narabeb West…
More #FieldworkFriday
The site of Khommabes in the north of the #NamibSandSea, which contains a palimpsest of ESA, MSA & LSA #archaeology
This view looks northeast from a patch of nebkah dunes. Off to the left of the photo is a calcrete-capped interdune pan that used to hold water
The site of Khommabes in the north of the #NamibSandSea, which contains a palimpsest of ESA, MSA & LSA #archaeology
This view looks northeast from a patch of nebkah dunes. Off to the left of the photo is a calcrete-capped interdune pan that used to hold water
August 1, 2025 at 3:11 PM
More #FieldworkFriday
The site of Khommabes in the north of the #NamibSandSea, which contains a palimpsest of ESA, MSA & LSA #archaeology
This view looks northeast from a patch of nebkah dunes. Off to the left of the photo is a calcrete-capped interdune pan that used to hold water
The site of Khommabes in the north of the #NamibSandSea, which contains a palimpsest of ESA, MSA & LSA #archaeology
This view looks northeast from a patch of nebkah dunes. Off to the left of the photo is a calcrete-capped interdune pan that used to hold water
August 1, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Sands & pan sediments are being measured here at the Geography Department @uomseed.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Sands & pan sediments are being measured here at the Geography Department @uomseed.bsky.social
Field team, parts 1 & 2 during June 2025 field season, with the wonderful launching off point of the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute
#NamibSandSea #archaeology #lithics #pans #gobabeb
#NamibSandSea #archaeology #lithics #pans #gobabeb
July 31, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Field team, parts 1 & 2 during June 2025 field season, with the wonderful launching off point of the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute
#NamibSandSea #archaeology #lithics #pans #gobabeb
#NamibSandSea #archaeology #lithics #pans #gobabeb
Alma Nankela’s enlivening #keynote here at #SafA2025 talking about Namibia’s Archaeological Heritage,putting operational frameworks in place, and showing us many beautiful sites in Namibia.
#archaeology
#Namibia
#rockart
#rockshelters
#archaeology
#Namibia
#rockart
#rockshelters
July 24, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Alma Nankela’s enlivening #keynote here at #SafA2025 talking about Namibia’s Archaeological Heritage,putting operational frameworks in place, and showing us many beautiful sites in Namibia.
#archaeology
#Namibia
#rockart
#rockshelters
#archaeology
#Namibia
#rockart
#rockshelters
Reposted by PANS Namib Sand Sea Project
Really looking forward to heading to my first Society of African Archaeologists conference next week, talking about our group’s research out in the Namib Sand Seaz
#SANDS
#PANS
#archaeology
#safaconference2025
#lithics
#NamibSandSea
#EarlierStoneAge
#MiddleStoneAge
#SANDS
#PANS
#archaeology
#safaconference2025
#lithics
#NamibSandSea
#EarlierStoneAge
#MiddleStoneAge
July 18, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Really looking forward to heading to my first Society of African Archaeologists conference next week, talking about our group’s research out in the Namib Sand Seaz
#SANDS
#PANS
#archaeology
#safaconference2025
#lithics
#NamibSandSea
#EarlierStoneAge
#MiddleStoneAge
#SANDS
#PANS
#archaeology
#safaconference2025
#lithics
#NamibSandSea
#EarlierStoneAge
#MiddleStoneAge
Reposted by PANS Namib Sand Sea Project
Next up in our #SAFA session 28 will be @abistone.bsky.social who is introducing us to the @pans-river-namib.bsky.social project that she is running with colleagues in the Namib Sand Sea 🦣 🏺 Days to go: 4️⃣
July 18, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Next up in our #SAFA session 28 will be @abistone.bsky.social who is introducing us to the @pans-river-namib.bsky.social project that she is running with colleagues in the Namib Sand Sea 🦣 🏺 Days to go: 4️⃣
Dr Abi Stone and her colleagues aim to use luminescence dating to shine a light on a neglected part of Africa’s archaeological record, out in the remote, hyper-arid landscapes of the Namib Sand Sea. www.flipsnack.com/leverhulmetr... @manchester.ac.uk
June 3, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Rachel Bynoe is an archaeologist with expertise in human origins, Quaternary landscape & environmental change. She either spends time under the North Sea, or in the quite the opposite - the Namib Sand Sea - as project co-I.
www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5x7nb...
trowelblazers.com/2016/10/03/r...
www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5x7nb...
trowelblazers.com/2016/10/03/r...
May 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Rachel Bynoe is an archaeologist with expertise in human origins, Quaternary landscape & environmental change. She either spends time under the North Sea, or in the quite the opposite - the Namib Sand Sea - as project co-I.
www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5x7nb...
trowelblazers.com/2016/10/03/r...
www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5x7nb...
trowelblazers.com/2016/10/03/r...
Tess is talking today to the at the Yorkshire Palaeo Group network meeting…
April 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Tess is talking today to the at the Yorkshire Palaeo Group network meeting…
Abi Stone is a dryland Quaternary scientist & geochronologist interested in long-term landscape & environmental change, based at @uomseed.bsky.social @uniofmanchester.bsky.social
She's worked in the Namib on & off since ~2005, & range of other deserts.
research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/a...
She's worked in the Namib on & off since ~2005, & range of other deserts.
research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/a...
March 21, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Abi Stone is a dryland Quaternary scientist & geochronologist interested in long-term landscape & environmental change, based at @uomseed.bsky.social @uniofmanchester.bsky.social
She's worked in the Namib on & off since ~2005, & range of other deserts.
research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/a...
She's worked in the Namib on & off since ~2005, & range of other deserts.
research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/a...
Dominic Stratford is a geoarchaeologist focusing on stratigraphy & site formation processes in southern African archaeological sites. He & George adventured on a long E-W survey across the Namib Sand Sea in 2022, which revealed some key sites for the team.
www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/anth...
www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/anth...
March 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Dominic Stratford is a geoarchaeologist focusing on stratigraphy & site formation processes in southern African archaeological sites. He & George adventured on a long E-W survey across the Namib Sand Sea in 2022, which revealed some key sites for the team.
www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/anth...
www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/anth...
George Leader is an archaeologist, who initially brought the team together. An expert in lithic technology, with widespread field experience in southern Africa & an explorer at heart, trekking for 2 weeks across the Namib Sand Sea with Dom Stratford in 2022
anthropology.sas.upenn.edu/people/georg...
anthropology.sas.upenn.edu/people/georg...
March 19, 2025 at 6:46 PM
George Leader is an archaeologist, who initially brought the team together. An expert in lithic technology, with widespread field experience in southern Africa & an explorer at heart, trekking for 2 weeks across the Namib Sand Sea with Dom Stratford in 2022
anthropology.sas.upenn.edu/people/georg...
anthropology.sas.upenn.edu/people/georg...
Brief intros to the research team to follow... watch this space.
March 14, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Brief intros to the research team to follow... watch this space.
First up... we need to select a logo... Here's some ideas from Tess Spano, project post-doc. Which one do you prefer?
March 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM
First up... we need to select a logo... Here's some ideas from Tess Spano, project post-doc. Which one do you prefer?
Hello! An account for @leverhulme.bsky.social "PANS: Palaeoenvironmental context of Palaeolithic Archaeology in the Namib SandSea" & @rgsibg.bsky.social Thesiger-Oman "RiVER: Routes into Vleis: Environmental Reconstruction of conditions facilitating hominin occupation in the Namib SandSea" projects
March 14, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Hello! An account for @leverhulme.bsky.social "PANS: Palaeoenvironmental context of Palaeolithic Archaeology in the Namib SandSea" & @rgsibg.bsky.social Thesiger-Oman "RiVER: Routes into Vleis: Environmental Reconstruction of conditions facilitating hominin occupation in the Namib SandSea" projects