A Formal Approach to the Design and Assembly of Mobile Toolkits

Abstract

It is widely believed that the design of transported artifacts and toolkits employed by mobile populations is influenced by two main factors, portability and potential utility. Choices about the kinds of artifacts to carry around can be modeled as an optimization problem, in which it is beneficial to obtain the greatest potential utility for the minimum total weight. This study approaches the problem analytically, making a few simple assumptions about artifact geometry and the relations between utility and artifact size. If artifact utility is calculated as a function of potential for renewal, transported toolkits should consist entirely of relatively small finished tools. Moreover, most gains in durability or multifunctionality that require increases in overall size are outweighed by increased transport cost. Inconsistencies between these expectations and ethnographic and archaeological observations point to situations in which artifact functionality is more closely constrained by overall size or mass.

In glacial environments beyond glacial terrains: Human eco-dynamics in late Pleistocene Mediterranean Iberia

“…But there are other, equally valuable, theory-based analytical protocols for eco-dynamics that can guide new work on existing but minimally studied collections. Examples for lithics include estimations of cortex removal, measures of flake reduction, and comparisons of complete and truncated reduction sequences (chaîne opératoires) to name but a few (Kuhn, 1994;Morrow, 1996;Dibble et al, 2005;Douglas et al, 2008;Riel-Salvatore and Negrino, 2009). The results of these studies, along with the current one, emphasize the value of quantitative, whole-assemblage analyses over studies of individual artifacts for understanding human ecological systems at the regional scale in which they operated.…”

Stone tool analysis and human origins research: Some advice from uncle Screwtape

“…52,53 Other studies focus on the countervailing selective pressures for devising artifact maintainability versus reliability in artifact design [54][55][56] and the optimal design of mobile toolkits. [57][58][59][60] Evolutionary archeology (or Darwinian archeology) focuses on the historical, quasi-phylogenetic dimension of lithic variation. Its proponents are interested in discovering historical relationships between artifacts.…”

Archaeological Investigations at the Ice House Site, 41HY161: Early Archaic Technology, Subsistence, and Settlement Along the Balcones Escarpment, Hays County, Texas

“…The composition of the assemblage suggests that late stage reduction and manufacturing and repair and recycling of tools were the main lithic activities in OZ2. The tools are characteristic of what would be expected in a highly mobile hunter's assemblage consisting of bifaces and hafted tools (i.e., Keeley 1982;Kuhn 1994). Aves sp.…”

“…In addition to possible site function, tool types have been used as indicators for mobility or sedentism (Kelly 1988a;Kuhn 1994;Parry and Kelly 1987). Tools broken during manufacture and the debitage from tool manufacturing were examined for diagnostic traits.…”