Since 2002 extensive studies have been carried out on the surface scatters of Early and Middle Stone Age (ESA and MSA) artefacts in western Namibia, with additional studies in north-central and southern Namibia. The distribution of intense artefact scatters coincides with geological formations that contain quartzitic sandstones that were the preferred lithic resource for tool manufacture. Away from these rocks, surface artefacts still occur but with much less frequency.

In this, the first ever large-scale survey of surface scatters from the Palaeolithic, it is argued that despite loss of buried context, surface studies offer information on Palaeolithic lifestyles that cannot be obtained from excavation alone. It is shown beyond doubt that on flat surfaces away from streams larger cutting tools are likely to remain roughly where they were dropped indefinitely. By use of the Edge Test, a digital program to measure amount of section mass lost from artefact edges, the relative age of different typologies from surface contexts can be demonstrated.

The evidence from Western Namibia suggests that choice of settlement areas in the ESA and early MSA was determined not only by available water but also by access to quality lithic raw material, and that early humans were accomplished field geologists. To a large extent the geology map is the key to ESA and early MSA archaeology.

自2002年以来，已经对纳米比亚西部早期和中石器时代（ESA和MSA）人工制品的表面散射进行了广泛研究，并在纳米比亚中北部和南部进行了其他研究。强烈的伪影散布分布与包含石英砂岩的地质构造相吻合，石英砂岩是工具制造的首选岩性资源。远离这些岩石，仍会出现表面伪影，但频率要低得多。

在这是有史以来第一次大规模的对旧石器时代地表散射的调查中，有人指出，尽管掩埋的环境有所损失，但地表研究提供了仅通过挖掘无法获得的有关旧石器时代生活方式的信息。毫无疑问，在远离流的平坦表面上，较大的切削工具可能会粗略地停留在无限地掉落的位置。通过使用Edge Test（边缘测试），一种数字程序来测量由于伪像边缘而损失的切片质量，可以证明表面类型不同类型的相对年龄。

来自纳米比亚西部的证据表明，ESA和早期MSA中定居区域的选择不仅取决于可用的水，而且取决于获得优质的片状原材料的能力，而且早期的人类是有经验的地质学家。很大程度上，地质图是ESA和早期MSA考古学的关键。