While lithic objects can potentially inform us about past adaptations and
behaviors, it is import... more While lithic objects can potentially inform us about past adaptations and behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.
The relationship between artifact manufacture, use, and discard in the Developed Oldowan is compl... more The relationship between artifact manufacture, use, and discard in the Developed Oldowan is complex. Here we use digital-image-analysis techniques to investigate the intensity of reduction in single-platform cores of the Developed Oldowan of the Okote Member, Koobi Fora Formation. Data suggest that this method provides a more accurate measure of reduction intensity than previous applications of a unifacial-scraper model. Assemblages of single-platform cores excavated from extensive lateral exposures of the Okote Member provide insights into the relationship between raw-material availability and discard patterns. Variation in reduction intensity suggests that tools are not always discarded in patterns that would be predicted by the availability of raw material. Further, it appears that hominin transport decisions involved an assessment of the potential use-life of certain forms. Many aspects of Developed Oldowan technology conform to previously developed models of curated technologies.
... 1991; Roth and Dibble 1998; Potts et al. 1999). Yet for many Plio-Pleistocene sites thelandsc... more ... 1991; Roth and Dibble 1998; Potts et al. 1999). Yet for many Plio-Pleistocene sites thelandscape-scale distribution of stone sources is rarely well documented. ... To understand thevariation of rock types available to Plio-Pleistocene hominins on the eastern side of the ...
Hawks et al. argue that our analysis of Australopithecus sediba mandibles is flawed and that spec... more Hawks et al. argue that our analysis of Australopithecus sediba mandibles is flawed and that specimen LD 350-1 cannot be distinguished from this, or any other, Australopithecus species. Our reexamination of the evidence confirms that LD 350-1 falls outside of the pattern that A. sediba shares with Australopithecus and thus is reasonably assigned to the genus Homo.
This study investigates morphological differences between flakes produced via &am... more This study investigates morphological differences between flakes produced via "core and flake" technologies and those resulting from bifacial shaping strategies. We investigate systematic variation between two technological groups of flakes using experimentally produced assemblages, and then apply the experimental model to the Cutting 10 Mid -Pleistocene archaeological collection from Elandsfontein, South Africa. We argue that a specific set of independent variables-and their interactions-including external platform angle, platform depth, measures of thickness variance and flake curvature should distinguish between these two technological groups. The role of these variables in technological group separation was further investigated using the Generalized Linear Model as well as Linear Discriminant Analysis. The Discriminant model was used to classify archaeological flakes from the Cutting 10 locality in terms of their probability of association, within either experimentally developed technological group. The results indicate that the selected independent variables play a central role in separating core and flake from bifacial technologies. Thickness evenness and curvature had the greatest effect sizes in both the Generalized Linear and Discriminant models. Interestingly the interaction between thickness evenness and platform depth was significant and played an important role in influencing technological group membership. The identified interaction emphasizes the complexity in attempting to distinguish flake production strategies based on flake morphological attributes. The results of the discriminant function analysis demonstrate that the majority of flakes at the Cutting 10 locality were not associated with the production of the numerous Large Cutting Tools found at the site, which corresponds with previous suggestions regarding technological behaviors reflected in this assemblage.
Studies of stone artifact morphology are beginning to rapidly increase in complexity. While these... more Studies of stone artifact morphology are beginning to rapidly increase in complexity. While these techniques provide new insights into artifact variation, it is also necessary to insure that these methods provide data that is behaviorally relevant. Here, we provide a new technique that includes three dimensional attributes to calculate platform areas to enhance the prediction of flake area from platform attributes. This data allows the calculation of more precise measures of reduction in large unifacial flake cores in Developed Oldowan ...
Advances in the study of Oldowan research have suggested that the earliest tool-makers had the te... more Advances in the study of Oldowan research have suggested that the earliest tool-makers had the technological capabilities usually suggested in later time periods. Work in West Turkana and Gona research areas suggests that Pliocene hominins had a concise understanding of stone fracture mechanics and had a clear conception of how to reduce cores in a manner that maintained flaking surfaces.
The Oldowan industry represents the oldest known manifestation of material culture. The expressio... more The Oldowan industry represents the oldest known manifestation of material culture. The expression of these earliest tools is marked by its diversity. Here we review various approaches to this material. In particular we focus on how the history of research on these industries has ...
Artifacts from the Galana Boi Formation in Kenya present a rare view of the dynamics of ancient l... more Artifacts from the Galana Boi Formation in Kenya present a rare view of the dynamics of ancient lifestyles. Archeological materials include evidence of hunter-gatherer and fishing economies, and the beginnings of the earliest pastoralism in Kenya. Through the use of X-ray fluorescence analysis for sourcing of obsidian artifacts, we present theories of social networks, mobility, and exchange that may ultimately
While lithic objects can potentially inform us about past adaptations and
behaviors, it is import... more While lithic objects can potentially inform us about past adaptations and behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.
The relationship between artifact manufacture, use, and discard in the Developed Oldowan is compl... more The relationship between artifact manufacture, use, and discard in the Developed Oldowan is complex. Here we use digital-image-analysis techniques to investigate the intensity of reduction in single-platform cores of the Developed Oldowan of the Okote Member, Koobi Fora Formation. Data suggest that this method provides a more accurate measure of reduction intensity than previous applications of a unifacial-scraper model. Assemblages of single-platform cores excavated from extensive lateral exposures of the Okote Member provide insights into the relationship between raw-material availability and discard patterns. Variation in reduction intensity suggests that tools are not always discarded in patterns that would be predicted by the availability of raw material. Further, it appears that hominin transport decisions involved an assessment of the potential use-life of certain forms. Many aspects of Developed Oldowan technology conform to previously developed models of curated technologies.
... 1991; Roth and Dibble 1998; Potts et al. 1999). Yet for many Plio-Pleistocene sites thelandsc... more ... 1991; Roth and Dibble 1998; Potts et al. 1999). Yet for many Plio-Pleistocene sites thelandscape-scale distribution of stone sources is rarely well documented. ... To understand thevariation of rock types available to Plio-Pleistocene hominins on the eastern side of the ...
Hawks et al. argue that our analysis of Australopithecus sediba mandibles is flawed and that spec... more Hawks et al. argue that our analysis of Australopithecus sediba mandibles is flawed and that specimen LD 350-1 cannot be distinguished from this, or any other, Australopithecus species. Our reexamination of the evidence confirms that LD 350-1 falls outside of the pattern that A. sediba shares with Australopithecus and thus is reasonably assigned to the genus Homo.
This study investigates morphological differences between flakes produced via &am... more This study investigates morphological differences between flakes produced via "core and flake" technologies and those resulting from bifacial shaping strategies. We investigate systematic variation between two technological groups of flakes using experimentally produced assemblages, and then apply the experimental model to the Cutting 10 Mid -Pleistocene archaeological collection from Elandsfontein, South Africa. We argue that a specific set of independent variables-and their interactions-including external platform angle, platform depth, measures of thickness variance and flake curvature should distinguish between these two technological groups. The role of these variables in technological group separation was further investigated using the Generalized Linear Model as well as Linear Discriminant Analysis. The Discriminant model was used to classify archaeological flakes from the Cutting 10 locality in terms of their probability of association, within either experimentally developed technological group. The results indicate that the selected independent variables play a central role in separating core and flake from bifacial technologies. Thickness evenness and curvature had the greatest effect sizes in both the Generalized Linear and Discriminant models. Interestingly the interaction between thickness evenness and platform depth was significant and played an important role in influencing technological group membership. The identified interaction emphasizes the complexity in attempting to distinguish flake production strategies based on flake morphological attributes. The results of the discriminant function analysis demonstrate that the majority of flakes at the Cutting 10 locality were not associated with the production of the numerous Large Cutting Tools found at the site, which corresponds with previous suggestions regarding technological behaviors reflected in this assemblage.
Studies of stone artifact morphology are beginning to rapidly increase in complexity. While these... more Studies of stone artifact morphology are beginning to rapidly increase in complexity. While these techniques provide new insights into artifact variation, it is also necessary to insure that these methods provide data that is behaviorally relevant. Here, we provide a new technique that includes three dimensional attributes to calculate platform areas to enhance the prediction of flake area from platform attributes. This data allows the calculation of more precise measures of reduction in large unifacial flake cores in Developed Oldowan ...
Advances in the study of Oldowan research have suggested that the earliest tool-makers had the te... more Advances in the study of Oldowan research have suggested that the earliest tool-makers had the technological capabilities usually suggested in later time periods. Work in West Turkana and Gona research areas suggests that Pliocene hominins had a concise understanding of stone fracture mechanics and had a clear conception of how to reduce cores in a manner that maintained flaking surfaces.
The Oldowan industry represents the oldest known manifestation of material culture. The expressio... more The Oldowan industry represents the oldest known manifestation of material culture. The expression of these earliest tools is marked by its diversity. Here we review various approaches to this material. In particular we focus on how the history of research on these industries has ...
Artifacts from the Galana Boi Formation in Kenya present a rare view of the dynamics of ancient l... more Artifacts from the Galana Boi Formation in Kenya present a rare view of the dynamics of ancient lifestyles. Archeological materials include evidence of hunter-gatherer and fishing economies, and the beginnings of the earliest pastoralism in Kenya. Through the use of X-ray fluorescence analysis for sourcing of obsidian artifacts, we present theories of social networks, mobility, and exchange that may ultimately
• The condition of an artifact... more • The condition of an artifact is an important indicator of the degree to which the surface assemblage transported (post depositional process). • This would help us to compare topographic variables to ta-phonomic variables (weathering stages). • An example of fresh (1), slightly fresh (2), moderately rounded at edge and ridge (3), and heavily rounded (4) arti-fact showing WS1, WS2, WS3 and WS4 respectively (left to right). (A), shows Strong and significant correlations between arti-fact density, mass and rounding suggest that the location of artifacts on the landscape is heavily determined by modern hydrological processes; and (B) A lack of correlations between artifact density, mass and rounding suggest that the location of artifacts generally reflects hominin discard patterns. • The Koobi Fora area of northern Kenya has been the target of several studies concerning aspects of the lithics industry and the origin of human kind in eastern Africa. • It is made up of the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary deposits and has eight members of formations. • The surface assemblages recovered within the Okote Member of the Koobi Fora Formation is dated to 1.56-1.38 Ma. • Aerial photographs were taken from aloft. To take these overlapping pictures from ~50 meter altitude, a quadcopter was used. The quadcoptor would fly along a set of evenly spaced transects to ensure an overlap of 70% or greater between photos. • The overlapping pictures have been changed in to 3D model landscape using workflow in Agisoft photo scan. • DEM with plotted artifacts, • Using Arc GIS, 3D models were exported as Digital Elevation Model (DEM), from which many land surface parameters , such as slope model, flow direction, flow accumulation and stream power could be derived with approximately 2cm per pixel
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behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these
problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.
behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these
problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.