An overview of the cognitive implications of the Oldowan Industrial Complex

Toth, Nicholas; Schick, Kathy

doi:10.1080/0067270x.2018.1439558

Cited by 72 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 147 publications

(104 reference statements)

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“…So, even if the DO terminology is eliminated and replaced by the term late Oldowan, we observe that there are changes in the lithic toolkits after around 1.8 Ma. ; in close chronological range with the first Acheulian [1].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…[141,178,179]; with Asia where it was maintained from 1. 185,186] (see list, African Oldowan localities in [1]. Still others have introduced terms such as Pre-Oldowan [116,187], to designate assemblages older than the Oldowan from Olduvai Gorge, without spheroids and lacking standardized retouched tools.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Introduction Archaic stone tools are not only related to the genus Homo [1], as evidenced, for example, at the Lomekwi 3 site, where the lithic assemblage (3.3 Ma, West Turkana, Kenya) predates its emergence [2,3]. While it is not currently possible to positively identify the creators of the earliest stone tools at Gona [4: 627], fossils attributed to Australopithecus garhi found in the Hata Member of the Bouri Formation (Middle Awash) show equivalent age to the EG and OGS sites (2.6-2.5 Ma., Ethiopia) [5,6,7,8,9].…”

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Subspheroids in the lithic assemblage of Barranco León (Spain): Recognizing the late Oldowan in Europe

et al. 2020

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The lithic assemblage of Barranco León (BL), attributed to the Oldowan techno-complex, contributes valuable information to reconstruct behavioral patterning of the first hominins to disperse into Western Europe. This archaic stone tool assemblage comprises two, very different groups of tools, made from distinct raw materials. On the one hand, a small-sized toolkit knapped from Jurassic flint, comprising intensively exploited cores and small-sized flakes and fragments and, on the other hand, a large-sized limestone toolkit that is mainly linked to percussive activities. In recent years, the limestone macro-tools have been the center of particular attention, leading to a re-evaluation of their role in the assemblage. Main results bring to light strict hominin selective processes, mainly concerning the quality of the limestone and the morphology of the cobbles, in relation to their use-patterning. In addition to the variety of traces of percussion identified on the limestone tools, recurrences have recently been documented in their positioning and in the morphology of the active surfaces. Coupled with experimental work, this data has contributed to formulating hypothesis about the range of uses for these tools, beyond stone knapping and butchery, for activities such as: wood-working or tendon and meat tenderizing. The abundance of hammerstones, as well as the presence of heavy-duty scrapers, are special features recognized for the limestone component of the Barranco León assemblage. This paper presents, for the first time, another characteristic of the assemblage: the presence of polyhedral and, especially, subspheroid morphologies, virtually unknown in the European context for this timeframe. We present an analysis of these tools, combining qualitative evaluation of the raw materials, diacritical study, 3D geometric morphometric analysis of facet angles and an evaluation of the type and position of percussive traces; opening up the discussion of the late Oldowan beyond the African context.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Subspheroids in the lithic assemblage of Barranco León (Spain): Recognizing the late Oldowan in Europe

et al. 2020

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“…Biological trends included bipedal specialisations and increased brain size (from the 400 cm 3 of Australopithecines to the roughly 1400 cm 3 of Homo sapiens ) but also cortical re‐organisation (increased dominance of the prefrontal regions) (Holloway, ). Behavioural advances included a flaked stone industry with increased technological complexity over time (Toth & Schick, ), emergence of language (Morgan et al , ), control of fire as early as 1mya (Berna et al , ) and the appearance of the funeral rituals discussed above. Together, these examples illustrate a growth in intellect and prosociality in our lineage with levels far exceeding those observed in primates today.…”

Section: Primate Thanatology: Evolutionary/cognitive Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying

2019

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For the past two centuries, non-human primates have been reported to inspect, protect, retrieve, carry or drag the dead bodies of their conspecifics and, for nearly the same amount of time, sparse scientific attention has been paid to such behaviours. Given that there exists a considerable gap in the fossil and archaeological record concerning how early hominins might have interacted with their dead, extant primates may provide valuable insight into how and in which contexts thanatological behaviours would have occurred. First, we outline a comprehensive history of comparative thanatology in non-human primates, from the earliest accounts to the present, uncovering the interpretations of previous researchers and their contributions to the field of primate thanatology. Many of the typical behavioural patterns towards the dead seen in the past are consistent with those observed today. Second, we review recent evidence of thanatological responses and organise it into distinct terminologies: direct interactions (physical contact with the corpse) and secondary interactions (guarding the corpse, vigils and visitations). Third, we provide a critical evaluation regarding the form and function of the behavioural and emotional aspects of these responses towards infants and adults, also comparing them with non-conspecifics. We suggest that thanatological interactions: promote a faster re-categorisation from living to dead, decrease costly vigilant/caregiving behaviours, are crucial to the management of grieving responses, update position in the group's hierarchy, and accelerate the formation of new social bonds. Fourth, we propose an integrated model of Life-Death Awareness, whereupon neural circuitry dedicated towards detecting life, i.e. the agency system (animate agency, intentional agency, mentalistic agency) works with a corresponding system that interacts with it on a decision-making level (animate/inanimate distinction, living/dead discrimination, death awareness). Theoretically, both systems are governed by specific cognitive mechanisms (perceptual categories, associative concepts and high-order reasoning, respectively). Fifth, we present an evolutionary timeline from rudimentary thanatological responses likely occurring in earlier non-human primates during the Eocene to the more elaborate mortuary practices attributed to genus Homo throughout the Pleistocene. Finally, we discuss the importance of detailed reports on primate thanatology and propose several empirical avenues to shed further light on this topic. This review expands and builds upon previous attempts to evaluate the body of knowledge on this subject, providing an integrative perspective and bringing together different fields of research to detail the evolutionary, sensory/cognitive, developmental and historical/archaeological aspects of primate thanatology. Considering all these findings and given their cognitive abilities, we argue that non-human primates are capable of an implicit awareness of death.

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“…Taphonomic debates revolving around these topics are essential in understanding features of human evolution, considering how current theories argue meat-eating to be a fundamental component of our evolution [8][9][10][11]. The concept of butchery contains a multitude of different implications beginning with resource acquisition [8,[12][13][14][15], as well as the cognitive technical capacities to manufacture the instruments used for such activities [16][17][18][19][20]. Dates of cut marks at 3.3 Ma implicate Australopithecine populations to be the first users of tools and butcherers in hominin pre-history [1], however authors are yet to come to an agreement as to whether these individuals were physically capable of such practices [16][17][18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Hybrid Geometric Morphometric Deep Learning Approach for Cut and Trampling Mark Classification

et al. 2019

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The concept of equifinality is currently one of the largest issues in taphonomy, frequently leading analysts to erroneously interpret the formation and functionality of archaeological and paleontological sites. An example of this equifinality can be found in the differentiation between anthropic cut marks and other traces on bone produced by natural agents, such as that of sedimentary abrasion and trampling. These issues are a key component in the understanding of early human evolution, yet frequently rely on qualitative features for their identification. Unfortunately, qualitative data is commonly susceptible to subjectivity, producing insecurity in research through analyst experience. The present study intends to confront these issues through a hybrid methodological approach. Here, we combine Geometric Morphometric data, 3D digital microscopy, and Deep Learning Neural Networks to provide a means of empirically classifying taphonomic traces on bone. Results obtained are able to reach over 95% classification, providing a possible means of overcoming taphonomic equifinality in the archaeological and paleontological register.

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An overview of the cognitive implications of the Oldowan Industrial Complex

Abstract: This paper focuses on the empirical evidence for the cognitive abilities of early hominins of the Oldowan Industrial Complex (c.

Cited by 72 publications

References 147 publications

Subspheroids in the lithic assemblage of Barranco León (Spain): Recognizing the late Oldowan in Europe

Subspheroids in the lithic assemblage of Barranco León (Spain): Recognizing the late Oldowan in Europe

Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying

A Hybrid Geometric Morphometric Deep Learning Approach for Cut and Trampling Mark Classification

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