Patalano et al., 2023. Ha Makotoko FigShare Dataset.xlsx

We present a vegetation and precipitation record from the Ha Makotoko rockshelter in western Lesotho using plant wax biomarkers. Ha Makotoko was found on the south side of the Phuthiatsana River before being drowned by the Metolong Dam reservoir in 2014 and spanned from MIS 3 to 2 (~60-26 ka), and then from the early to late Holocene (~13-1.0 ka). Stable carbon isotope ratios from plant wax biomarkers indicate a constant C3-dominated ecosystem up to about 5,000 years ago, followed by C4 grassland expansion due to increasing Holocene temperatures. Hydrogen isotope ratios indicate a drier, yet stable, Pleistocene and Early Holocene compared to a relatively wet Late Holocene. Although relatively cool and dry, the Pleistocene was ecologically reliable due to generally uniform precipitation amounts, which incentivized persistent habitation because of dependable freshwater reserves that supported rich terrestrial foods and provided prime locations for catching fish.