Late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial technologies across northwest Europe: Typo-technological variability and trends

Ruebens, Karen

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.06.010

Cited by 17 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…As noted in the introduction, strong claims of the cultural/traditional nature of variation in LMP assemblages have been recently made in the literature (Kozłowski, 2014;Ruebens, 2013Ruebens, , 2014. These accounts rely on several assumptions, not all of which are made explicit.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of edge angle maintenance in explaining technological variation in the production of Late Middle Paleolithic bifacial and unifacial tools

Ioviţă¹

2014

Quaternary International

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of edge angle maintenance in explaining technological variation in the production of Late Middle Paleolithic bifacial and unifacial tools

Ioviţă¹

2014

Quaternary International

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“…In Europe handaxes were made by H. heidelbergensis (Manzi, 2016;Profico et al, 2016), although the chronology of the Heidelbergs in Europe may be subject to change given recent palaeogenetic advances (Meyer et al, 2016;Meyer et al, 2014). H. neanderthalensis is also a European handaxe maker (Ruebens, 2014;Ruebens et al, 2013), but new cultural labels are applied to the Late Pleistocene Neanderthal handaxes (e.g. Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition rather than Acheulean).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From side to side: Symmetry in handaxes in the British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic

McNabb

Cole

Hoggard

2018

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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The Acheulean is defined by its iconic tool type, the handaxe, and a suite of other large cutting tools (LCTs). These tools retain information on technical and procedural practices concerned with the manufacture of these butchery tools and carcass processing knives. The Acheulean straddles the period in which more ancient hominin species (H. erectus and H. heidelbergensis) give way to archaic H. sapiens (sensu lato) amongst whom the ancestor of modern humans may be found. The roots of modern behaviour may be present in these handaxe making hominin species, and the handaxes themselves, through proxy data such as bilateral symmetry, may chart hominin cognitive evolution as researchers such as T. Wynn and F. Coolidge (2016), amongst others, have argued. But the search for the earliest consistent application of symmetry, and its persistence thereafter has been hampered by the lack of large datasets, spanning the temporal extent of the Acheulean, and analysed through a single consistent methodology.Our paper has two aims. The first, and in the absence of a large comparative data set of earlier Acheulean handaxes, is to assess the degree to which symmetry is consistently applied to the making of handaxes in the later Acheulean (=<0.5 mya), a time when bilateral planform symmetry should already be an integral component in handaxe making. The dataset we select is the British Acheulean from MIS 13 -MIS 3/4. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time handaxe symmetry has been assessed on a large body of British Acheulean handaxes. Our second aim is to present a relatively simple and low tech methodology for the analysis of handaxes

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“…Recently, a new hypothesis proposed that, given the imprecise chronology (MIS 5 to 3) for most sites in northern and western France, these assemblages should be grouped under the generic term "Mousterian with bifacial tools" or MBT (Ruebens, 2012(Ruebens, , 2013(Ruebens, , 2014, which is spread across a large area of northern and central France and comprises different forms of bifacial tools. Variability in bifacial tools forms found within this extensive area has also been interpreted as reflecting eastern (KMG) and southern (MTA) influences (Ruebens, 2013(Ruebens, , 2014.…”

Section: Inter-regional Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Variability in bifacial tools forms found within this extensive area has also been interpreted as reflecting eastern (KMG) and southern (MTA) influences (Ruebens, 2013(Ruebens, , 2014. Unfortunately, the lack of reliable, taphonomically tested data reveals the definition of the MBT as conceived by Ruebens not take into account possible chronological, geographic or functional variations in these assemblages.…”

Section: Inter-regional Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ruebens, 2014). Instead, incorporating elements related to raw material procurement patterns, flake production methods, the transformation and resharpening of tools, and the fragmentation of the chaîne op eratoire provide a fuller, more comparable vision of the overall technological system than does a reliance solely on 'fossil directors'.…”

Section: Inter-regional Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Late Middle Palaeolithic assemblages with flake cleavers in the western Pyrenees: The Vasconian reconsidered

Deschamps¹

2017

Quaternary International

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a b s t r a c tThe analysis of several lithic assemblages with flake cleavers and bifaces from sites attributed to MIS 5 and 3 in the western Pyrenees provides the basis for a new chronological and typo-technological characterisation of the region's late Middle Palaeolithic record. Previously assigned to the Vasconian based strictly on typological criteria, a certain degree of variability evident between the analysed assemblages likely indicates different occupation types. However, broad typo-technological traits reflecting a common regional tradition can be identified and are discussed against the backdrop of the regional diversity and cultural geography of late Middle Palaeolithic industries dated to around 50 ka BP. This 'regionalisation' of lithic techno-complexes may also have important ramifications for the socioeconomic organisation and demographic dynamics of late Middle Palaeolithic human groups.

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Late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial technologies across northwest Europe: Typo-technological variability and trends

Cited by 17 publications

References 41 publications

The role of edge angle maintenance in explaining technological variation in the production of Late Middle Paleolithic bifacial and unifacial tools

The role of edge angle maintenance in explaining technological variation in the production of Late Middle Paleolithic bifacial and unifacial tools

From side to side: Symmetry in handaxes in the British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic

Late Middle Palaeolithic assemblages with flake cleavers in the western Pyrenees: The Vasconian reconsidered

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