Pinacle Point West Cave
Peter Swart and Anthony Hitchcock, February 1998
On the western side of the Bamboes Gat beach, at the base of Pinnacle Point, are a number of open caves and shelters. The deepest of these is the Double Story Shelter. This sandy-floored cave is on two levels, with a wide entrance on each level. The cave is about 20m deep and more than 10m from the floor of the lower chamber to the ceiling of the upper chamber.
The cave must have made an ideal shelter for the early inhabitants of this coast — it is near fresh water, well above the sea, yet close to the food-rich rocky shores. Small stone tools were found in the entrance, and excavation would likely reveal more. The cave was not surveyed.
Further to the west of Bamboes Gat are a number of archaeological digs. These caves are not included here. For further information, see An early and enduring advanced technology originating 71,000 years ago in South Africa. Nature, 491(7425), 590–593