After the Lower Palaeolithic: Lithic ramification in the early Middle Palaeolithic of Orgnac 3, layer 2 (Ardèche, France)

Mathias, Cyrielle

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.01.033

Cited by 17 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The gender and age diversification of tasks was part of this increasing social complexity. Other studies have suggested that stone tool ramification may reflect this possibility (Rios-Garaizar et al, 2015;Mathias, 2016), which has also been supported through the analysis of activity-related dental wear (Estalrrich and Rosas, 2015). The results for layer M support the hypothesis that branching production was a collective response to social organisation of tasks but was not necessary related to the social division of activities carried out at the site.…”

Section: Discussion: How Many Processes and With Which Implications?supporting

confidence: 72%

“…The relevance of understanding ramification as a structured production process in the Late Middle Palaeolithic lies in the interpretation of the technological evolution of Neanderthals. It suggests not only changes in cognitive capacities, such as improved planning behaviour, but also an increasing complexity of activity organisation, including new tasks and social division of labour (Rios-Garaizar et al, 2015;Mathias, 2016). Furthermore, several studies have linked ramified production to recycling (see: Barkai et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Here and now or a previously planned strategy? Rethinking the concept of ramification for micro-production in expedient contexts: Implications for Neanderthal socio-economic behaviour

Romagnoli

Soler

Bargalló³

et al. 2018

Quaternary International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ramification is the term used to classify branched productive sequences in which a functional item (the flake) was exploited as a productive item (the core). This technological behaviour was present in Europe and the Levant beginning in the Lower and Early Middle Palaeolithic, but ramified productions were intensely developed in the Late Middle Palaeolithic. Traditionally, ramification has been interpreted as a well-structured behaviour, implying its integration into the provisioning strategies of past humans. This viewpoint has significant implications for the understanding of technological evolution in Neanderthals, suggesting specific cognitive and socioeconomic capacities. Ramified procedures were characterised by high flexibility due to the versatile patterns of the core-on-flake and are described in the literature as corresponding to several different knapping concepts and technical procedures. This research aimed to describe the role of ramification in the Late Middle Palaeolithic. We analysed two assemblages from the Abric Romaní site (located in the northeast part of the Iberian Peninsula) characterised by informal, expedient technologies. The focus was on the spatial and temporal fragmentation of the ramified sequences based on the identification of single technical events. The reduction of the scale of analysis and the resulting implementation of temporal resolution of the stone tool assemblages in such expedient contexts allowed us to understand ramification from an innovative perspective, setting aside our bias toward well-defined productive methods associated with preconceived economic and mobility patterns. The results showed that ramification reflected a range of behaviours, implying a variety of planning proficiency, economic strategies and social interactions. This means that 'ramified production' is not meaningful unless is linked with a detailed description of human choices and an understanding of temporal and spatial relationships between knapping events. Furthermore, the results showed that, to approach behavioural issues, we as researchers must change our unitary vision of assemblages and enlarge the scope of categories to which we apply that vision.

show abstract

Section: Discussion: How Many Processes and With Which Implications?supporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Here and now or a previously planned strategy? Rethinking the concept of ramification for micro-production in expedient contexts: Implications for Neanderthal socio-economic behaviour

Romagnoli

Soler

Bargalló³

et al. 2018

Quaternary International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Le Pucheuil; Lazuén and Delagnes, ). Conversely, in the western Mediterranean, ramification is more broadly applied on by‐products of Levallois, Quina and discoid technology and using methods employed in the initial chaînes opératoires (Texier, ; Bourguignon et al ., ; Mathias, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technological adaptation and the emergence of Levallois in Central Europe: new insight from the Markkleeberg and Zwochau open‐air sites in Germany

Picin

2017

J Quaternary Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The introduction of the Levallois method in Europe is considered the technological innovation that marked the beginning of the Middle Palaeolithic. In North‐Central Europe, early evidence of this new concept of flake production is dated at the junction between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9 and MIS 8, a period that showed a deterioration of climatic conditions, i.e. a change from forested to cold tundra–steppe vegetation and dispersal of the Mammuthus–Coelodonta faunal complex from artic territories. This study aims to contribute new data to the current debate by exploring the lithic assemblages of the Markkleeberg and Zwochau open‐air sites in Germany. Technological analysis reveals the introduction of the Levallois method in association with the development of the local unidirectional core technology. This pattern is common in other sites of North‐Central Europe. This modification in the technical behaviour of hunter‐gatherers is interpreted as a technological adaptation in response to the new faunal complex composed of seasonal migratory animals.

show abstract

“…Such patinated items with post-patina removals are present in all sub-categories. The presence of patina and post-patina removals indicate a time gap between the two stages of use 56 , suggesting, in these cases, separate procedures of manufacture and recycling, rather than the existence of a single chaîne opératoire (as in the case of ramification 57,58 ). Moreover, a wide variety of blank types were selected to be used as COF-FFs, implying that these blanks were not originally produced for that purpose but rather were selected out of the many existing artefacts manufactured by different lithic production trajectories practiced at the site.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal residues found on tiny Lower Paleolithic tools reveal their use in butchery

Venditti

Cristiani

Nunziante-Cesaro

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stone tools provide a unique window into the mode of adaptation and cognitive abilities of Lower Paleolithic early humans. The persistently produced large cutting tools (bifaces/handaxes) have long been an appealing focus of research in the reconstruction of Lower Paleolithic survival strategies, at the expenses of the small flake tools considered by-products of the stone production process rather than desired end products. Here, we use use-wear, residues and technological analyses to show direct and very early evidence of the deliberate production and use of small flakes for targeted stages of the prey butchery process at the late Lower Paleolithic Acheulian site of Revadim, Israel. We highlight the significant role of small flakes in Lower Paleolithic adaptation alongside the canonical large handaxes. Our results demonstrate the technological and cognitive flexibility of early human groups in the Levant and beyond at the threshold of the departure from Lower Paleolithic lifeways.

show abstract

After the Lower Palaeolithic: Lithic ramification in the early Middle Palaeolithic of Orgnac 3, layer 2 (Ardèche, France)

Cited by 17 publications

References 33 publications

Here and now or a previously planned strategy? Rethinking the concept of ramification for micro-production in expedient contexts: Implications for Neanderthal socio-economic behaviour

Here and now or a previously planned strategy? Rethinking the concept of ramification for micro-production in expedient contexts: Implications for Neanderthal socio-economic behaviour

Technological adaptation and the emergence of Levallois in Central Europe: new insight from the Markkleeberg and Zwochau open‐air sites in Germany

Animal residues found on tiny Lower Paleolithic tools reveal their use in butchery

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About