Table 2. Dates of technological phases in the late Middle Paleolithic of Europe and in the late Middle Stone Age of South Africa (a).
| Technological phases | Start (ka) | End (ka) |
| Still Bay | ||
| Blombos | ca.75.5 (OSL) | 67.8 (OSL) |
| Sibudu | 70.5±2.0 (OSL) | |
| Diepkloof | 109±10 (TL) | |
| Howiesons Poort | ||
| Sibudu | 64.7±2.3 (OSL) | 61.7±2 (OSL) |
| Klasies River Main Site, Cave 1A | 64.1±2.6 (OSL) | 56±3 (TL) |
| Border Cave | 74±4 (ESR) | 60±3 (ESR) |
| Diepkloof | 105±10 (TL) | 52.5±5 (TL) |
| Post-Howiesons Poort/MSA III (b) | ||
| Klasies, Cave 1A | 60±5 (TL) | – |
| Klasies, Cave 1A | 57.9±5.3 (OSL) | – |
| Border Cave | 60±3 (ESR) | 44−42 (14 C cal BP) |
| Sibudu | 58.5±1.4 (OSL) | 38.6±1.9 (OSL) |
| Boomplaas | ca 56±6 (U-series) | 38−36 (14 C cal BP) |
| Klein Kliphuis | 57.8±2.4 (OSL) | 33.3±1.3 (OSL) |
| Rose Cottage | 56.0±2.3 (OSL) | – |
| Mousterian in Western Europe (c) | ||
| Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition(six sites in SW France) | 70 | 40 |
| Quina Mousterian(six sites in SW France) | 73 | 40 |
| The Keilmessergruppen(13 sites in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic) | 80 | 50 |
(a) After [89], [91]–[92], [94], [96]–[105]. We have excluded assemblages with uncertain stratigraphy (Umhlatuzana, HP layers at Klein Kliphuis) or unpublished dates (Hollow Rock Shelter).
(b) The term Post-Howiesons Poort is equivalent to MSA III at Klasies River Main Site. It includes informal designations of the Sibudu sequence such as late MSA and final MSA. We have not included several TL and OSL dates for the HP and Post-HP of Rose Cottage because they are inconsistent or only informative for the middle part of the sequence [105]–[106]. The Post-HP OSL date reported here for Rose Cottage [89] is of layer LIN which is toward the base of the Post-HP sequence but above its oldest layer.
(c) The Middle Paleolithic technocomplexes are dated by TL, ESR, 14C (calibrated BP) and chronostratigraphy.