The SPN sites nevertheless are distinguishable from Elmenteitan occurrences by virtue of their smaller and differently derived microlithic blanks, smaller scraper forms, and somewhat larger geometric microliths.

Pottery from SPN sites includes beakerlike containers and bowls of varying sizes with both open and narrow mouths. Decoration is also common and varied. The classification and dating of SPN ceramic styles, some of which temporally succeed one another, have been controversial. Bower and Nelson (1978) and also Wandibba (1980) proposed a set of terms for “wares” defined by wall thickness, finishing, and decorative motifs. Collett and Robertshaw (1983b), on the other hand, undertook a four-variate cluster analysis of ceramics from sites at which vessel form could be reconstituted and revised the Neolithic classification system. Their analysis yielded four main clusters, one of which included pottery from all three sites with Elmenteitan lithics as well as from Deloraine farm, a very early (1100 b.p.) Iron Age site thought to represent the transition of a local stone-using population to iron technology. One of the remaining three clusters contains Nderit ware ceramics as well as other forms, and the same sample also included material from east of Lake Turkana. Collett and Robertshaw chose to call this the Olmalenge tradition. Another cluster, called the Oltome by Collett and Robertshaw, contains ceramics most commonly referred to as Kansyore ware. The last cluster, called the Oldishi tradition, includes materials from sites on Crescent Island and its causeway.

The introduction of new terminology by Collett and Robertshaw is indicative of the confusion and controversy that still surround the study and classification of the Neolithic period in East Africa. The main center of these studies revolves around the issue of indigenous versus foreign origins of the culture. One group, composed mostly of indigenous archaeologists such as Onyango Abuje and Wandibba (1980), argues for a local origin. These archaeologists believe that the indigenous population of East Africa domesticated at least some of the livestock and a majority of the crops (millets, sorghums, yams, etc.) that are currently grown in Africa. The other group, composed almost exclusively of foreign archaeologists, argues that the Neolithic cultures of East Africa intruded into the region. The intruders, who may have come from the northeast, were Caucasoid and brought with them the art of animal husbandry and perhaps crop production as well (Ambrose 1984b, 1986b; Cole 1963; L.S.B. Leakey 1931, 1935; M.D. Leakey 1945; Sutton 1973). Whichever argument is correct, various analyses have shown that geographic proximity had a strong influence on the closeness of clustering within the major divisions, which may reflect varied intensities of communication within local versus regional populations.

Analyses of SPN sites by Ambrose and De Niro have been interpreted to indicate that the SPN makers were more heavily reliant on animal products and, hence, more heavily committed to pastoralism than were the makers of Elmenteitan artifacts. Robertshaw and Collett (1983a) on the other hand, stress that a good number of the sites could have supported rainfall-dependent farming and that some artifacts may be agricultural implements.

Since 1971, when the first unequivocal faunas of domestic animals were identified by Odner (1971) and Gramly (1972), most terminal–Stone Age researchers have focused on the identification and study of such fauna. Those who have been on the forefront of this kind of study are Diane Gifford-Gonzalez (1984, 1985), F. Marshall (1986), Bernard Mbae (1986), Karega Munene, and, to a lesser extent, Robertshaw. The aim of this work has been to provide a picture of the use of domestic and wild animals by early food producing peoples and their contemporaries. Cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys have been identified at Neolithic sites with camels entering relatively late in the cultural sequence in the drier regions of northern Kenya (Barthelme 1977).

The 1960s saw not only the emergence of independent East African states but also the establishment of fully fledged universities and university colleges in the region. Within these institutions, there was an urgent need to restructure the curriculum in order to reflect the new status of the territories and the aspirations