South African Archaeological Bulletin

Aims & Scope

The South African Archaeological Bulletin is an internationally accredited journal (ISI & IBSS listed) that publishes original peer-reviewed research articles, field and technical reports, discussion forum contributions and book reviews on all aspects of African archaeology.

The Bulletin is issued twice a year, in June and December.

The Bulletin was established in December 1945 with the aim of informing a wide audience about important new research findings on all aspects of African archaeology.

A founding principle was that the Bulletin should balance academic excellence with a ‘fight against embroiled and over-complicated jargon’.

This it has done for more than sixty five years and this longstanding commitment to public archaeology has made the Bulletin one of the best subscribed journals in the archaeological world.

Today our commitment to social relevance extends beyond the way that archaeology is written: the Bulletin strives to raise the profile of African archaeological research and to demonstrate the key importance of archaeology within post-colonial Africa.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

Impact Factor

Year	Value
2025	1.6

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	0.294

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q2

h-index

Year	Value
2024	31

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Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Web of Science

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Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

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Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• The Mammalian Fauna of the Klasies River Mouth Sites, Southern Cape Province, South Africa

  Citation: 192

  Authors: Richard G.

• Two Late Pleistocene-Holocene Archaeological Depositories from the Southern Cape, South Africa

  Citation: 170

  Authors: H. J.

• The Howiesons Poort Backed Artefacts from Klasies River: An Argument for Symbolic Behaviour

  Citation: 133

  Authors: Sarah

• Ochre in the Middle Stone Age of Southern Africa: Ritualised Display or Hide Preservative?

  Citation: 123

  Authors: Ian

• 'Art Mobilier' from the Apollo 11 Cave, South West Africa: Africa's Oldest Dated Works of Art

  Citation: 122

  Authors: W. E.

• The Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of the Main Site Sequence, Klasies River, South Africa

  Citation: 115

  Authors: H. J., V. B.

• Through the Veil: San Rock Paintings and the Rock Face

  Citation: 95

  Authors: J. David, Thomas A.

• Molluscan Fauna from Klasies River, South Africa

  Citation: 83

  Authors: J. F.

• Variability within the Late Acheulian Assemblage in Eastern Africa

  Citation: 82

  Authors: Maxine R.

• Excavations in the South-Western Cape, South Africa, and the Archaeological Identity of Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers within the Last 2000 Years

  Citation: 81

  Authors: Andrew B., Karim, John, Royden

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