Identifying design and reduction effects on lithic projectile point shapes

Azevedo, Soledad de; Charlin, Judith; González‐José, Rolando

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.013

Cited by 41 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 54 publications

(67 reference statements)

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“…These confirm that this method is relevant as a complementary quantitative approach for the study of human technological behaviour, with a wide array of applications (e.g. resharpening, shape, tool function and variability: [ 13 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]; technological attributes: [ 10 , 12 , 16 , 29 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]; post-depositional processes: [ 48 ]).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

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Morphometric Assessment of Convergent Tool Technology and Function during the Early Middle Palaeolithic: The Case of Payre, France

et al. 2016

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There appears to be little doubt as to the existence of an intentional technological resolve to produce convergent tools during the Middle Palaeolithic. However, the use of these pieces as pointed tools is still subject to debate: i.e., handheld tool vs. hafted tool. Present-day technological analysis has begun to apply new methodologies in order to quantify shape variability and to decipher the role of the morphology of these pieces in relation to function; for instance, geometric morphometric analyses have recently been applied with successful results. This paper presents a study of this type of analysis on 37 convergent tools from level Ga of Payre site (France), dated to MIS 8–7. These pieces are non-standardized knapping products produced by discoidal and orthogonal core technologies. Moreover, macro-wear studies attest to various activities on diverse materials with no evidence of hafting or projectile use. The aim of this paper is to test the geometric morphometric approach on non-standardized artefacts applying the Elliptical Fourier analysis (EFA) to 3D contours and to assess the potential relationship between size and shape, technology and function. This study is innovative in that it is the first time that this method, considered to be a valuable complement for describing technological and functional attributes, is applied to 3D contours of lithic products. Our results show that this methodology ensures a very good degree of accuracy in describing shape variations of the sharp edges of technologically non-standardized convergent tools. EFA on 3D contours indicates variations in deviations of the outline along the third dimension (i.e., dorso-ventrally) and yields quantitative and insightful information on the actual shape variations of tools. Several statistically significant relationships are found between shape variation and use-wear attributes, though the results emphasize the large variability of the shape of the convergent tools, which, in general, does not show a strong direct association with technological features and function. This is in good agreement with the technological context of this chronological period, characterized by a wide diversity of non-standardized tools adapted to multipurpose functions for varied subsistence activities.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…The majority of studies applying EFA to lithic technology and function are carried out on standardized artefacts with simpler homologous points in relation to the symmetry of the tools and on 2D contours (e.g. [ 7 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 42 , 44 , 46 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphometric Assessment of Convergent Tool Technology and Function during the Early Middle Palaeolithic: The Case of Payre, France

et al. 2016

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“…Shape variation related to maintenance can also obscure the ability to recognise typological categories and, due to the prevalence of resharpened artefacts in the archaeological record, can often render some of those categories invalid (e.g., Hayden, 1977;Dibble, 1987;Shott, 2005Shott, , 2007Shott and Ballenger, 2007). Conversely tool shape variation associated with original design, which may be driven by cultural or functional imperatives, is seldom allometric and can easily be obscured by maintenance and recycling activities (Goodyear, 1974;Hoffman, 1985;Shott, 2005Shott, , 2007Shott, , 2010Iovita, 2011;Gonz alez-Jos e and Charlin, 2012;de Azevedo et al, 2014). It follows that variation associated with initial design is visible among bifacial points that retain morphologies that are close to optimizing an intended value.…”

Section: Bifacial Point Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

What is Still Bay? Human biogeography and bifacial point variability

Archer

Pop

Gunz

et al. 2016

Journal of Human Evolution

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“…The latter variability has a measureable effect on both (1) shape associated with initial design, and (2) patterns of shape change that points undergo when they are manufactured, maintained and reduced. Similarly, substantial amounts of variation in bifacial point morphology have been shown to be underpinned by maintenance behaviours that are indicative of longitudinal as opposed to lateral bifacial modifications [ 56 – 58 , 72 – 74 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diachronic Change within the Still Bay at Blombos Cave, South Africa

et al. 2015

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Characteristically shaped bifacial points are stone artefacts with which the Middle Stone Age Still Bay techno-complex in Southern Africa is identified. Traditional approaches such as chaîne opératoire and two-dimensional metrics in combination with attribute analyses have been used to analyse variability within Still Bay point assemblages. Here we develop a protocol to extract and analyse high resolution 3-dimensional geometric morphometric information about Still Bay point morphology. We also investigate ways in which the independent variables of time, raw-material and tool size may be driving patterns of shape variation in the Blombos Cave point assemblage. We demonstrate that at a single, stratified Still Bay site points undergo significant modal changes in tool morphology and standardization. Our results caution against (1) treatment of the Still Bay as a static technological entity and (2) drawing demographic inferences stemming from grouping Still Bay point collections within the same cultural label.

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Identifying design and reduction effects on lithic projectile point shapes

Cited by 41 publications

References 54 publications

Morphometric Assessment of Convergent Tool Technology and Function during the Early Middle Palaeolithic: The Case of Payre, France

Morphometric Assessment of Convergent Tool Technology and Function during the Early Middle Palaeolithic: The Case of Payre, France

What is Still Bay? Human biogeography and bifacial point variability

Diachronic Change within the Still Bay at Blombos Cave, South Africa

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