[2] Direct dating on Achatina shell and ostrich eggshell beads indicates that the oldest human burials at Mlambalasi (and thus the earliest occupation levels) are from the terminal Pleistocene.

[2] Mlambalasi does not fit the traditional archaeological definition of a formal cemetery, but it has served as an important fixture for various peoples over 20,000 years in the contexts of bead making, food processing, and human burial.

[2] It provides valuable insights into the behaviors and cultures of terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene human populations in East Africa.

[2] It lies within the Usagaran Belt, which was formed 1.9-2 billion years ago, and is characterized by quartzite and granite metamorphic rocks.

In terms of vegetation, the Iringa Region is classified as miombo woodland (meaning a moist savannah with tall, dense tree coverage, a long dry season, and average rainfall of 75–1000 mm per year).

[2] In terms of ecological stability and resource availability, Tanzania's Southern Highlands most probably provided refuge from the environmental stress of nearby regions (such as the East African Rift Valley) during all or some of the most recent glacial.

[3][2]In 2002, a small-scale test excavation was conducted at Mlambalasi by Paul Msemwa, who currently serves as the Director of the National Museum of Tanzania.

[2] Mlambalasi and another rock shelter, Magubike, were introduced to Pamela Willoughby in 2005 by Ms. Joyce Nachilema, the District Cultural Officer for Iringa Rural.

[9] This pattern might be representative of general refinement, or an intensified reduction process over time due to external economic factors of technological adaptations.

[9] The top LSA layer at Mlambalasi is a microlithic quartz assemblage, with high rates of backed pieces made from bipolar blanks.

[2] Potsherds from Mlambalasi are coarse, porous, have thick and uneven cross sections, and have evidence of partial oxidation or burning.

[9] Direct dates on Achatina shells (abundant at every level of excavation and in all stratified units) and OES beads indicate that the earliest occupations at Mlambalasi (associated with human burials) are from the terminal Pleistocene.

[2] This date suggestion is significant, due to the fact that archaeological sites from sub-tropical Africa (especially with human remains and organic materials) from between 200,000 and 10,000 years ago are incredibly rare.

[2] The OES evidence suggests that during the Stone Age, Mlambalasi was occupied by small groups that did not require highly symbolic or ritualized behavior.

[2] Flexed burial postures date to 15,000 years ago in Tanzania, and Mlambalasi is the oldest evidence in the Iringa Region.

[2] Despite the absence of a formal burial pit / cairn, cobbles and boulders from the roof covered B-1, and the body was found with three OES beads, dating to the terminal Pleistocene.

[2] B-3 (found near the Iron Age smelting furnace at the entrance of the rockshelter) includes a fragmentary skull, upper arms, and a partial thorax (possibly from a female adult).

[4] The atypical body size of the adult skeleton as well as evidence of advanced dental disease and pathological changes provide a unique insight to Later Pleistocene African populations.

[4] Compared to previously documented East African LSA skeletal remains, the Mlambalasi skeletons are unusual, indicating a need for further study in this area.

[4] The rifle bullet casing discovered during the 2010 excavations was analyzed and determined to be manufactured in 1887 in Germany, directly linking it to the German colonization of Tanganyika.

[8] Mkwawa, the Paramount Chief of the Hehe people of Iringa, led the local resistance against German colonial rule during this period.