Toward a functional understanding of the North American Old Copper Culture “technomic devolution”

Bebber, Michelle R.; Eren, Metin I.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2018.08.001

Cited by 30 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our experiment here closely replicates the practices described in other ballistics studies conducted at the Kent State University Experimental Archaeology Laboratory [37][38][39][40][41][42]. This laboratory is a controlled experimental indoor setting used in order to systematically evaluate projectile performance.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…To protect participants and observers from any airborne debris during the experiment, a safety wall separated the target from the rest of the laboratory. We fired the hafted projectile specimens into blocks of moist clay containing crystalline silica, which has been used as an ethical substitute for meat and tissue in other studies [37,39,[43][44][45]. Key et al ([39]:2-42) write, "High-speed video analyses and depth of penetration tests suggest that, dynamically, clay can be used as a suitable substitute for meat during experimental archaeology tests with stone points, but not for modern composite arrows.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Miniaturization optimized weapon killing power during the social stress of late pre-contact North America (AD 600-1600)

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Before Europeans arrived to Eastern North America, prehistoric, indigenous peoples experienced a number of changes that culminated in the development of sedentary, maize agricultural lifeways of varying complexity. Inherent to these lifeways were several triggers of social stress including population nucleation and increase, intergroup conflict (warfare), and increased territoriality. Here, we examine whether this period of social stress co-varied with deadlier weaponry, specifically, the design of the most commonly found prehistoric archery component in late pre-contact North America: triangular stone arrow tips (TSAT). The examination of modern metal or carbon projectiles, arrows, and arrowheads has demonstrated that smaller arrow tips penetrate deeper into a target than do larger ones. We first experimentally confirm that this relationship applies to arrow tips made from stone hafted onto shafts made from wood. We then statistically assess a large sample (n = 742) of late precontact TSAT and show that these specimens are extraordinarily small. Thus, by miniaturizing their arrow tips, prehistoric people in Eastern North America optimized their projectile weaponry for maximum penetration and killing power in warfare and hunting. Finally, we verify that these functional advantages were selected across environmental and cultural boundaries. Thus, while we cannot and should not rule out stochastic, production economizing, or non-adaptive cultural processes as an explanation for TSAT, overall our results are consistent with the hypothesis that broad, socially stressful demographic changes in late pre-contact Eastern North America resulted in the miniaturization-and augmented lethality-of stone tools across the region.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Miniaturization optimized weapon killing power during the social stress of late pre-contact North America (AD 600-1600)

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The distance between the stationary target and bow was approximately 180 cm, which allowed adequate room for the specimens to travel once fired without drastically losing speed or dropping ( 31 : 39). We fired the hafted projectile specimens into blocks of moist clay containing crystalline silica, which has been used as a substitute for meat and tissue in other studies ( 32 ; 35–38).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We recorded penetration depth into the clay target for each shot. We measured this variable by holding the shaft at the location at which the shaft was first exposed in the clay target ( 31 : 41). Once we removed a specimen from the target, a tape measure was used to measure from the person’s finger mark on the shaft to the tip of the point.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The velocities thus reflect that: given a single hypothetical individual firing all fourteen forms, the more massive projectiles travel slower than smaller ones although we note that the velocities in our experiment fall well within the range of human atlatl throwing 39 . To measure velocity (m/s), we used a Gamma Master Model Shooting Chronograph throughout the experiment ( 31 : 40–41). The chronograph readings result in “error” if there is a change in sunlight, cloud cover, or some other minor variable.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Tip cross-sectional geometry predicts the penetration depth of stone-tipped projectiles

Sitton

Story

Buchanan

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding prehistoric projectile weaponry performance is fundamental to unraveling past humans' survival and the evolution of technology. one important debate involves how deeply stone-tipped projectiles penetrate a target. theoretically, all things being equal, projectiles with smaller tip cross-sectional geometries should penetrate deeper into a target than projectiles with larger tip cross-sectional geometries. Yet, previous experiments have both supported and questioned this theoretical premise. Here, under controlled conditions, we experimentally examine fourteen types of stone-tipped projectile each possessing a different cross-sectional geometry. Our results show that both tip cross-sectional area (tcSA) and tip cross-sectional perimeter (tcSp) exhibit a strong, significant inverse relationship with target penetration depth, although TCSP's relationship is stronger. We discuss why our experimental results support what is mathematically predicted while previous experiments have not. our results are consistent with the hypothesis that when stone tip cross-sectional geometries become smaller over time in particular contexts, this evolution may be due to the selection of these attributes for increased penetration.

show abstract

Metal Artifacts

Banning¹

2020

Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Toward a functional understanding of the North American Old Copper Culture “technomic devolution”

Cited by 30 publications

References 36 publications

Miniaturization optimized weapon killing power during the social stress of late pre-contact North America (AD 600-1600)

Miniaturization optimized weapon killing power during the social stress of late pre-contact North America (AD 600-1600)

Tip cross-sectional geometry predicts the penetration depth of stone-tipped projectiles

Metal Artifacts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About