The deposits of Die Kelders I were previously described and studied by Tank
ard & Schweitzer (1974, 1976) from the standpoint of classical granulometri
c analysis of sand from a coastal cave in order to infer the geological his
tory of the cave and its environs. This paper supplements these earlier wor
ks by taking a more holistic approach toward site formation processes by in
cluding investigation of the biogenic and anthropogenic influences on the c
ave deposits and history. The study employs the technique of soil micromorp
hology, which is the study of resin-impregnated, undisturbed blocks of sedi
ment and petrographic thin sections, in which sediments from all areas of t
he cave were examined. The study showed that diagenesis of the deposits in
the eastern areas of the excavation resulted in decalcification, which in t
urn brought about slumping and compaction. Equivalent stratigraphic layers
exposed in the western and central areas were only mildly decalcified and c
onsequently, these sediments contain limestone rock fall and relatively abu
ndant marine and terrestrial mollusks, the: latter not dissimilar to the La
te Stone Age (LSA) midden which covers these deposits. Thus, in spite of lo
wered and more distant shorelines, marine resources were exploited during M
iddle Stone Age (MSA) times. Observations from these calcareous units also
clearly demonstrates that previously recognized "occupational horizons" (e.
g. Layers 6, 8 and 10) can be resolved micromorphologically into several ep
hemeral events, such as buming/ fire, redistribution of ashes by wind and w
ater, and non-deposition; the latter is shown by phosphatic alteration of s
ediments exposed on former surfaces and accumulation of guano, or the prese
nce of millimeter-thick truncation surfaces below which aeolian dust infilt
rated. Both field and microscopic observations illustrate that the deposits
in caves are highly variable from wall to center, and that excavations sho
uld not be localized in just one microenvironment of the cave site. (C) 200
0 Academic Press.