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In southern Africa, heat treatment of silcrete is documented by ~ 164 ka and is considered an important technological innovation, allowing knappers to improve the flaking properties of rocks for lithic blank production. Previous research has explored structural, mechanical, and geochemical changes in silcrete during heat treatment, but most studies have not explored the implications of those transformations for the blanks produced. Experiments that have examined the effects of heat treatment on blank production tend to rely on replicative flintknapping, where small changes in the way a blank is removed can create “noise.” In this study, we provide quantitative data to understand the effects of silcrete source and heating temperature on blank production using a flaking machine to isolate the effects of heat treatment on blank morphology. Our results show changes in absolute blank dimensions, and in the frequency of abrupt terminations as a result of heat treatment. However, the benefits of heat treatment may only occur within a limited temperature range and are heavily source dependent. This suggests that we should reconsider broad generalizations about the role of heat treatment in lithic technology and its supposed benefits and focus more on silcrete source and source-based effects on blank production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bipolar technique has been widely used across a wide range of prehistoric contexts, from the Lower Pleistocene to the Metal Ages, and is a defining feature of the Uluzzian technocomplex, evident in the Early Upper Palaeolithic of Italy and Greece. The objective of this paper is to examine whether the use of the bipolar technique within the Uluzzian extends beyond its conventional definition as a mere technique. To address this question, we conducted goal-orientated experimental flaking, focusing on the industries found at key Uluzzian sites in Italy: Broion, La Fabbrica, and Castelcivita. A comprehensive review of archaeological and ethnographic evidence further supplemented our study on the application of the bipolar technique. While bipolar reduction typically involves less procedural control, resulting in a diverse range of blanks, our research shows that adhering to certain discernible principles can indeed exert control over specific morphological features of the resulting products. Factors such as blank selection and configuration, along with the management of volumes and edges, contribute to high productivity, the generation of elongated products, and miniaturization as distinctive characteristics. These findings collectively establish the bipolar reduction on an anvil in the Uluzzian as a systematic method of debitage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 8200 years ago, the Storegga tsunami hit the west coast of South Norway. The physical extent of the tsunami has been well documented but the consequences of the event for contemporary societies have received little attention beyond broad generalizations and, more recently, demographic studies based on statistical modeling of radiocarbon dates. In this paper, we explore whether the different physical impacts of the Storrega tsunami could have initiated observed regional developments in lithic technology. We have analyzed lithic assemblages from 30 carefully selected Middle and Late Mesolithic sites (dated between c. 7500 and 5000 cal BC) spread across six designated "focus areas" along the coast of western South-Norway. We identified five blade production concepts in use during the Late Mesolithic and highlight potentially significant differences in their spatial and temporal distribution. Although neither the tsunami nor the environmental stresses experienced by Mesolithic communities appear to have prompted large breaks in traditional practices, we suggest that the event marks a point in time from where specific differences and modifications in lithic technology start developing at a local scale. We argue that sudden, yet transitory events such as the Storegga tsunami, may rupture the historical contingency of social networks and communication lines resulting in changing social contexts influencing material change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of research carried out at two previously unreported Eastern Desert Atbara River project (EDAR) Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites—EDAR 134 and EDAR 155. Luminescence dating results indicate human activity in this area during the Marine Isotope Stage 5 period (MIS 5), approximately 90 kya. Discussion concerning the affiliation of both analyzed inventories will be provided, including another MSA site from the EDAR area, where an assemblage dated to MIS 6/5e does not have technological features known from other technocomplexes in the eastern Sahara region (EDAR 135). Microscopic analysis of traces of tool use for the EDAR 155 assemblage shows the high impact of post-depositional (aeolian) processes on the state of preservation of lithic material. Sites EDAR 134 and 155 provide evidence for hominin activity during the late Pleistocene within an area only episodically accessible, due to arid conditions prevailing in the Saharan deserts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the links between South American Amerindian ontologies and the contextual study of knapped lithic technology is the main goal of this paper. To this end, we focus on a study case from eastern Catamarca province, Argentina, during the 1st millennium A.D. We identified projectile points in only one context, a rock art rock shelter (Oyola 7), while in other archaeological sites in the area, we have not recorded this type of stone tool. Drawing on ethnohistoric and ethnographic data regarding the connection between arrows and shamanic practices of illness and healing, we propose considering the agencies of these objects, as well as their intrinsic danger and their multiple possibilities of affecting beyond their traditional functional interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty years have passed since the first systematic archaeological surveys and excavations were conducted in Lutruwita (Tasmania). Despite numerous Late Pleistocene archaeological discoveries in the southwest region, no indisputable pre‐Holocene sites have been found in eastern Tasmania. This profound difference raises questions about how Aboriginal people utilised the Lutruwita landscape; first as a projecting peninsula into the Southern Ocean and then as an island cut off by rising seas c.14000 years ago. To examine the difference between east and west further, legacy data excavated by one of us (RJ) in 1964 at the Oatlands OL1 site and stored at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) has been analysed. The results of pXRF chemical analysis of artefact raw material, radiocarbon dating and studies of faunal remains have produced information that highlights the Holocene interaction between people in eastern Lutruwita. Despite the current lack of Late Pleistocene evidence from eastern Lutruwita, this pattern appears to be different from land use models for Late Pleistocene southwestern Lutruwita. With new information from the OL1 rock shelter site we can now contrast the Late Pleistocene hunting economics with the exceptionally well‐preserved faunal remains found in the Holocene site, OL1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bipolar technique is a flaking strategy that has been identified from 3.3 Ma until the twentieth century, with no geographical or chronological homogeneous distribution. It is represented by the intentional contact of an active percussive element against a core rested on an anvil. This tool composite has been described by some researchers as a sign of low-skill of hominins, unable to perform successfully free-hand flaking or for flaking low-quality raw materials. Based on this premise, our research focused on the following question: Are there any quantitative and qualitative differences in terms of both kinematic parameters and technical skills between knappers with different levels of expertise when flaking using the bipolar technique? To get an answer, we developed a systematic experimental program with 12 volunteer participants with different levels of expertise. Then, to assess potential quantifiable differences and to understand the mechanics of bipolar technology, we did a video motion analysis based on kinematic parameters (including position, velocity, acceleration, and kinetic energy of the hammerstone). In addition, we performed a technological analysis of the experimental lithic assemblages to assess the technological differences between knappers based on their levels of expertise. In kinematic parameters, both statistical analysis and observations from the experiment clearly show that there are differences between the levels of expertise in this technique. Intermediate knappers have been observed to apply more velocity and kinetic energy than experts and novices. Also, differences were observed in the flaking strategies. Expert knappers show a longer reduction sequence, while intermediates show shorter one. Moreover, some of the novice knappers did not even obtain a single flake. The results of our experiment stress the complexity of bipolar flaking and that previous assumptions about it might be reconsidered, especially in terms of reconsidering the negative connotations attributed to this flaking technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a series of 12 OSL/IRSL dates that revise and complete the chronology of the important Middle (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) site Umbeli Belli in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These dates shift the previous radiometric ages thousands of years older than earlier measurements and play a key role in revising the cultural stratigraphy of KwaZulu-Natal. We also discuss how these dates bring the chrono- and cultural stratigraphy of southern Africa into clearer focus. The Robberg sequence of Umbeli Belli is now firmly dated to 21 ± 2 ka, whereas the preceding Early LSA assemblage dates to ~32 ka, representing one of the earliest dates for this cultural expression in the broader region. The final MSA assemblages from Layer 7 to 9 now date to between 35 ka and 40 ka, overlapping more tightly with comparable assemblages from Sibhudu, Umhlatuzana and other sites. Layer 10, which was previously also assigned to the final MSA, now dates to ~47-54 ka, placing the assemblage within the temporal range of the Late MSA. The new dates provide a good explanation for the clear differences in material culture between Layer 10 and the younger layers. We also present two new ages for the deeper horizons 11b and 12 at Umbeli Belli, dating to 76 ± 9 ka and 80 ± 9 ka, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aurignacian is the first European technocomplex assigned to Homo sapiens recognized across a wide geographic extent. Although archaeologists have identified marked chrono-cultural shifts within the Aurignacian mostly by examining the techno-typological variations of stone and osseous tools, unraveling the underlying processes driving these changes remains a significant scientific challenge. Scholars have, for instance, hypothesized that the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) super-eruption and the climatic deterioration associated with the onset of Heinrich Event 4 had a substantial impact on European foraging groups. The technological shift from the Protoaurignacian to the Early Aurignacian is regarded as an archaeological manifestation of adaptation to changing environments. However, some of the most crucial regions and stratigraphic sequences for testing these scenarios have been overlooked. In this study, we delve into the high-resolution stratigraphic sequence of Grotta di Castelcivita in southern Italy. Here, the Uluzzian is followed by three Aurignacian layers, sealed by the eruptive units of the CI. Employing a comprehensive range of quantitative methods—encompassing attribute analysis, 3D model analysis, and geometric morphometrics—we demonstrate that the key technological feature commonly associated with the Early Aurignacian developed well before the deposition of the CI tephra. Our study provides thus the first direct evidence that the volcanic super-eruption played no role in this cultural process. Furthermore, we show that local paleo-environmental proxies do not correlate with the identified patterns of cultural continuity and discontinuity. Consequently, we propose alternative research paths to explore the role of demography and regional trajectories in the development of the Upper Paleolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an analysis of the flaked stone tools recovered from households in the Postclassic central Mexican city of Calixtlahuaca (a.d. 1130–1530). Most artifacts are obsidian and represent the blade-core technology, but biface and bipolar artifacts are also represented. Even though household residents were involved in limited biface and bipolar reduction, it appears that the city did not have any resident blade producers. This finding is at odds with the views of many archaeologists, who tend to associate craft production with the emergence of complex Mesoamerican urban centers. We examine the technologies from temporally distinct Calixtlahuacan household assemblages. We discuss why the quantity and quality artifacts associated with blade production are not consistent with resident blade making in the city. Finally, we examine four models for blade provisioning: (1) whole-blade trade, (2) processed-blade trade, (3) long-distance itinerant craftsmen, and (4) local, hinterland-based craftsmen. Evaluating how the Calixtlahuacans got their flaked stone tools has important implications for the comparative understanding of the organization and scale of economic provisioning systems in Postclassic central Mexico. This analysis supports new inferences about the nature of commercial networks that supplied the Toluca Valley prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mumba rockshelter, located in the northwest of Lake Eyasi is key to understanding the Stone Age in East Africa. The stratigraphy of the site spans the last 130 ka BP and comprises levels from the Middle Stone Age, the Later Stone Age, the Pastoral Neolithic, and the Iron Age. In terms of the Middle Stone Age (MSA), Mumba has helped to define two lithic industries: Sanzako (130 ka BP) and Kisele (90–50 Ka BP) that characterize this techno-complex in northern Tanzania. The Sanzako industry was defined based on level VI-B at Mumba, which was excavated in 1938 by Köhl-Larssen. Here we present the study of the lithic assemblage excavated by Mehlman between 1977 and 1981. Mehlman subdivided this unit into three sublevels (Lower, Middle, and Upper), all of which remained unanalyzed and therefore, unpublished. The main features of the lithic assemblages found in the three sublevels are the presence of discoid, Levallois, and bipolar knapping methods. Additionally, the retouched tools are mainly sidescrapers, denticulates, and notches. This recent research enables us to understand the Sanzako industry in more detail, as well as its nature within the chronocultural framework of the MSA in northern Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major changes in lithic technologies are often explained by either migration or crisis. Here we argue that continuity and minor adjustments in lithic production can tell equally dramatic tales of altered social situations. We base our interpretations on identified lithic blade production concepts and raw materials at 30 sites dating 7500–5000BC, i.e. from before and after the massive Storegga tsunami hit the coast of western South-Norway around 6150BC. Regional continuation, but also local variations in lithic production are interpreted inspired by a machine-oriented ontological framework. The tsunami disrupts the environment, society and its lithic traditions are affected. Although no immediate major breaks are observed, sometime after the tsunami, societies or lithic production as ‘machines’ in separate regions had begun to hum to different tunes. We suggest that variation in tsunami impact had created differing local social contexts which in turn pushed the lithic traditions down diverging paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure knapping technique develops circa 25,000 cal BP in Northeast Asia and excels at producing highly standardized microblades. Microblade pressure knapping spreads throughout most of Northeast Asia up to the Russian Arctic, and Alaska, in areas where the human presence was unknown. Swan Point CZ4b is the earliest uncontested evidence of human occupation of Alaska, at around 14,000 cal BP. It yields a pressure microblade component produced with the Yubetsu method, which is widespread in Northeast Asia during the Late Glacial period. Through the techno-functional analysis of 634 lithic pieces from this site, this study seeks to identify the techno-economical purposes for which the Yubetsu method was implemented. Data show that the microblade production system is related to an economy based on the planning of future needs, which is visible through blanks standardization, their overproduction, their functional versatility, and the segmentation of part of the chaîne opératoire. This expresses the efficiency and economic value of the microblade production system. The flexible use of pressure microblades identified at Swan Point CZ4b is also found in Japan, Korea, Kamchatka, and the North Baikal region, suggesting that their modes of use accompany the spread of early microblade pressure knapping over an immense territory across Beringia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Africa maintains a key position in debates surrounding the emergence of Homo sapiens across Africa. Extensive research in the region has revealed a rich fossil record in association with a 'generic' but variable Middle Stone Age (MSA) material culture, providing an important laboratory for testing hypotheses about the behavioural evolution of our species. For example, multiple archaeological studies of the eastern African MSA note a link between the distribution and density of sites, archaeological diversity and environmental conditions, with ecology and demography often cited as key drivers of cultural evolution. This article formulates new hypotheses using theoretical models of complex fitness landscapes of evolution and reviews the archaeological and climatic records of Middle-late Pleistocene eastern Africa in the light of these ideas. It proposes that evidence from eastern Africa implicates much of the region as a refugial zone within Pleistocene Africa, providing consistently suitable conditions for survival that were characterised by high and changing biodiversity, facilitating population growth and interconnectivity as well as material culture diversification. Interactions between different evolutionary processes likely resulted in the complex cultural mosaic observed across Africa, including the appearance of 'specific' innovations against a backdrop of more 'generic' MSA elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terminal Pleistocene witnessed significant paleoclimatic changes that influenced the adaptive behavior of human populations. Situated in the tropical-subtropical zone of Southwest China, a newly excavated cave site, Fodongdi, revealed evidence for substantive changes in technology between 18.37 to 13.85 cal ka BP. Here, we present the results of a technological analysis on lithic assemblage formation across three main sequential phases at Fodongdi Cave. Diachronic changes in lithic technology document the co-existence of diverse reduction techniques and toolkits, corresponding with climatic fluctuations over a five-thousand-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In southern Africa, the Howiesons Poort is one of the earliest technocomplexes in which small blades and bladelets were systematically produced and retouched into formal tools. While the presence of small lithic artefacts in an assemblage is welldocumented, little is known about production pathways. This paper reports on the analysis of the lithic assemblage from Horizon 6/7 of Charles Keller's excavations of Montagu Cave, South Africa, to evaluate how raw material and decision-making affects the size of stone tools in Howiesons Poort assemblages. It addresses the following questions: how were small blades produced? Was it a deliberate choice or a constraint imposed by raw material availability? Results show branching modes of production for large and small blanks beginning with raw material acquisition. The independent production of small blanks is reinforced by the presence of cores on flakes in the assemblage. However, a relatively standardised core reduction process was used consistently, regardless of core size. The main technological and typological features observed in Horizon 6/7 are in line with other known Howiesons Poort assemblages. Considered as a whole, these observations highlight the consistency of Howiesons Poort blade technology and the deliberate production of small blanks and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although much research has been conducted on the Late Postclassic period Maya, there has been relatively less study of the role of economic activities in political management during this period. Many such studies focused on obsidian analysis and technology as proxies for trade and exchange. This article builds on that research, using a legacy collection of obsidian implements collected during archaeological surveys in the 1970s to examine Late Postclassic period (AD 1200–1524) economic networks in the K'iche' region. Obsidian collections from the site of Q'umarkaj and the surrounding region were examined through technological and geochemical analyses. I find that during the Late Postclassic period, K'iche' elites had more access to nonlocal obsidian sources than did non-elites, but that access to locally available sources was managed through independent and diverse acquisition networks. Thus, the K'iche' elite were not dependent on local economies as a main source of political power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bahra 1 is a large site in the north of the Arabian Peninsula that provided an assemblage of nearly 100,000 lithic artefacts. The whole lithic industry of Bahra 1 represents a set of well‐thought‐out flint, quartz and stone tools for the mass production of shell jewellery, with only a small share of typical household tools. They mostly relate to the Ubaid tradition with Arabian Neolithic influences. However, limited excavations of the oldest occupational layers of the site also revealed an Epipalaeolithic Zarzian tradition. This paper presents a techno‐typological, functional and cultural characteristic of the whole Bahra 1 chipped and ground stone industry identified during the excavations at the site in 2009–2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological analysis of the late Holocene component of the stone artefact assemblage recovered from the Kings Table rockshelter in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, provides the basis for an assessment of the site's role in broader late Holocene settlement-subsistence systems. Drawing on Kuhn's widely employed "provisioning model", as well as Kelleher's general pre-contact occupation model for the Blue Mountains National Park (BMNP), we argue that the Kings Table rockshelter functioned as a short-term field camp for logistically-organised hunter-gatherers whose principal residential bases were located in "off-mountains" contexts. It is argued that the late Holocene component of the Kings Table assemblage has a technological "signature" entirely consistent with individual provisioning. Aboriginal groups occupying this site over the course of the late Holocene employed a mobile toolkit whose lithic component was dominated by artefacts manufactured out of high-quality, transported silicified tuff and incorporated both backed artefact-bearing composite tools and hafted edge-ground hatchets (axes) as key elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaco Canyon in New Mexico was the center of an extensive regional cultural system. The strength of Chaco's regional interactions has been partly defined by the presence of non–local goods including obsidian. We take a diachronic look at Chaco obsidian use from AD 500–1250 using the largest sample of XRF sourced obsidian available to date and combine this with technological analyses to identify significant changes in where and how Chacoans obtained and used obsidian. In the AD 700s obsidian from the more distant Jemez Mountains began to supplant the closer Mt. Taylor obsidian. The obsidian is of roughly equal quality, suggesting this shift relates to social factors and not raw material constraints. We find more variation over time in obsidian source use and acquisition strategies than previously noted. The patterning appears to relate to regional and local cultural diversity, social and organizational heterogeneity, and the development of new exchange networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of early hominins to overcome the constraints imposed by the characteristics of raw materials used for stone tool production is a key topic on the discussion about the evolution of hominin cognitive capabilities and technical behaviours. Thus, technological variability has been the centrepiece on this debate. However, the variability of lithic assemblages cannot be correctly interpreted without understanding site occupational models and function and considering that individual tools represent specific discard moments in a continuous reduction process. In Europe, the earliest technological record is represented by the scarce and scattered Mode 1 technologies, often deriving from occasional occupations or restricted activity areas yielding unrepresentative assemblages. In this paper, we approach the technological behaviours exhibited by Lower Palaeolithic hominins from the subunit TD6.2 of the Gran Dolina site (Atapuerca, Burgos) by including the perspective of reduction intensity studies on the analysis of technological variability. Gran Dolina TD6.2 is a unique and extremely significant archaeological context, as it represents the oldest multi-layered unit of domestic hominin occupations in the Early Pleistocene of Europe. We use the Volumetric Reconstruction Method (VRM) to estimate the original volume of the blanks and quantify the reduction intensity of each core individually to characterise the reduction distribution patterns using Weibull probability distribution functions. Our results suggest differential raw material management in terms of reduction intensity, according to the characteristics of each lithology. This could reflect a solid understanding of raw material qualities and a certain degree of planning. Altogether, the continuity between knapping strategies through reduction denotes constant adaptation to raw material constraints as well as particular knapping conditions, rather than specific compartmentalised mental schemes. In conclusion, Homo antecessor toolmakers would have been situational knappers whose technological behaviour would be highly adaptive. This research constitutes the first reduction approach for the European Early Pleistocene assemblages that will lead to a referential framework for other European Early Pleistocene sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article on lithic technology addresses the technological changes that occurred during the occupations of the last hunter-gatherer-domesticator populations and early farmer and shepherd societies in the Puna of Jujuy. It has as a particular objective to reconstruct operational chains and technical systems from three sites in the Barrancas basin around 3750–1550 cal BP. Results include various quantitative analyses. These are divided into four parts: raw materials, knapping and shaping methods, and grasping techno-functional units. We present frequencies and percentages for each of these. In the case of not rejecting the null hypothesis and of sufficient richness (>4), we exposed the Shannon-Weaver, dominance, and evenness indices. Even if we observe continuities, the results show that the technological changes are significant and include breaks. Evidence indicates new operative chains, lithic raw material economy, and restructuring of technical systems. We highlight that Middle Holocene hunting technical systems are hafting systems, including processing tools, whereas Late Holocene technical systems are fully grasping systems, with hafting exclusively reserved to arrowheads. These changes are interpreted within the framework of a social, economic, and ecological restructuring. Interactions between farming and herding economies, full sedentary settlements, and llama caravans for long-distance traffic are the proposed phenomena that could explain these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lithic assemblage from the well‐known site of Lugo di Grezzana (Italy) attributable to the Fiorano group (5,300–4,900 BC cal) is analysed to shed new insights on the early Neolithic lithic technology in North‐Eastern Italy. Techno‐typological data are discussed allowing detailed reconstruction of the reduction sequence, thanks also to several refittings. A complex laminar production with several technical objectives has been identified. Whereas clues for the heat treatment of lithic materials have been identified, we verified it by a combined experimental approach. In the first place, we used density measurements, which already proved to be useful for prescreening analysis, to detect potentially heated artefacts. Afterward, we performed Fourier Transform Infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy tests to assess the actual (de)hydration condition of the siliceous materials. Reflectance spectra have been acquired, analysing any item and avoiding any constraint related to both morphology and thickness of the sample. The archaeometric results, combined with the reduction sequence reconstruction, provide new indications on the technical capabilities and knowledge of the human groups that inhabited the region during the early Neolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological analysis is a critical component in the study of archaeological artefacts. Handaxes are some of the most iconic tools of the Palaeolithic era, and the study of their morphology can provide important insights into their creation, use, and development throughout early human evolution. While many studies exist for the study of handaxe morphology, little consensus exists as to what methods should be applied. Here the most reliable means of analysing handaxe morphology are explored; based on the use of simulated 2D toy datasets, we compare two widely used methods, geometric morphometrics, and elliptic Fourier analysis, and find that the latter is more reliable and powerful for differentiating between different handaxe groups. As a product of these analyses, a debate is proposed regarding the most reliable methods for studying handaxe morphology. In addition, the present study cautions against the use of certain statistical tests, such as canonical variates analysis, when sample sizes are too small. From this perspective, the research conducted highlights the importance of selecting the most appropriate methods for certain types of morphological analyses for lithic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the Middle Pleistocene (780 ka) in the European continent is associated with significant environmental variations (Middle Pleistocene Revolution), innovative behavioural strategies (bifacial productions, land-use patterns, raw material management) and a global increase in the archaeological evidence from 600 ka onward. Whether these changes are related to the rise of the Acheulean, the informative potential carried by these contexts is currently being explored through multidisciplinary approaches, allowing us to infer the role of these sites and the type of activities conducted. From this perspective, the Italian peninsula is a hot spot to compare the different technical behaviours and strategies human groups employ, given its crucial geographic location and solid archaeological record, both culturally and functionally speaking (the presence of sites with and without bifaces and core-and-flake assemblages). The site of Isernia La Pineta (590 ka), offering a rich lithic and faunal record, is an excellent case to join together the lithic technological study (i.e. “cultural” and technical tradition) with the functional analysis (i.e. activities conducted and exploited materials). Here, we present the result of the combined approach of these two disciplines on flint assemblages from layers t.3a and t.3coll. The new data will be discussed within the chrono-cultural framework of the Middle Pleistocene Revolution, linking the degree of complexity of the lithic production of Isernia with its function as a butchery site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Holocene is a critical period in the American Southeast and represents the time between the end of the Pleistocene and emerging cultural complexity of the Mid-Holocene. Due to the limitations imposed by a relative lack of site preservation, an important avenue of inquiry for understanding this period has been connecting the few reported, well-dated sites with the distribution of surface finds to explore how people organized their mobility across landscapes. The most widely cited examples of studies examining Early Holocene landscape use in the region are Anderson and Hanson (1988), Daniel (2001), and Hollenbach (2009). In this article, we discuss the historical development of these three approaches to modeling landscape use and explore the impacts of these works in Southeastern archaeology. Finally, we introduce four articles that explore the applicability of these three approaches in Virginia (Gingerich, this issue), Florida (Halligan et al., this issue), the lower Ohio River valley (Jennings et al. this issue), and the upper Tombigbee River valley (Strawn et al., this issue). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We draw on the distribution of recorded archaeological sites, temporally diagnostic projectile points, sources of lithic raw materials, and fossil pollen projections to evaluate existing models for Early Holocene landscape use in the upper Tombigbee River valley (UTRV) in northeast Mississippi. We then discuss the applicability of Anderson and Hanson (1988), Daniel (2001), and Hollenbach (2009) in gaining a better understanding of early hunter-gatherer mobility and settlement in the region and discuss future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study from the Hiem cave (Hoà Bình province, North Vietnam) showing how a multidisciplinary approach in archaeological research can develop knowledge on the everyday life of the hunter-gatherer Hoabinhian groups occupying the cave during the early Holocene (8500-8200 cal BC). The archaeological analysis presents the characteristic Hoabinhian artefacts and their usage, while archeozoological, malacological and archaeobotanical research throw light on the way of life, including plant and animal elements of a daily diet as well as the settlement seasonality of the cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One important aspect affecting variability in core reduction technology is the degree of expertise of knappers. In the present paper, we show that, at the Middle Palaeolithic open-air site of Nesher Ramla, the degree of expertise of ancient knappers played a major role in shaping the composition of the lithic assemblage. Using robust markers of knapping skill, such as the frequency and reiteration of decision mistakes in the knapping process, allowed us to establish that a clear relationship exists between the degree of structuring of core technologies and the degree of expertise of the knapper at Nesher Ramla. Simple core technologies (e.g. pebble and multiple surface cores) can be linked to the work of novices, while more structured technologies (e.g. Levallois) are linked to the work of more experienced individuals. In addition, we apply for the first time a 3D-based procedure for identifying the causes that possibly lead to knapping accidents, specifically potential errors in the evaluation of the reduction surface exterior platform angle and/or its profile. Tying simple core technologies with the work of unexpert knappers allowed us to explore otherwise elusive social-cultural aspects of past hunter-gatherer societies such as age structuring. Specifically, we suggest that during the most intense phases of occupation in Nesher Ramla, children and/or young adults were present at the site alongside adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Capsian, comprising the Typical Capsian and Upper Capsian facies, is a prominent North African prehistoric entity dating to the Early Holocene. Hundreds of rammadiyat (snail-shell mound) sites in eastern Algeria and Tunisia were occupied by Capsian hunter-gatherer communities. A significant technological change occurred at these sites during the mid-seventh millennium BCE. Pressure knapping, for producing a blade and trapeze lithic industry, emerged. This technique developed during the Mesolithic throughout the Mediterranean region. Understanding the earlier typological and technological variabilities and the exact timing of the emergence of pressure knapping is crucial in determining the local or foreign origin of this innovation in North Africa. Recent examination of legacy collections excavated in the Oum el Bouaghi area of Algeria during the interwar period fosters new perspectives on Capsian lithic industry variability. Our analyses document a complex lithic landscape for the Early Holocene, including a proposed "Central Early Capsian" facies for the early phases, as well as the persistence of strong regional variabilities in Upper Capsian lithic industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is arguably one of the most studied regions in Stone Age research. There are, however, considerable differences in research intensity with respect to different regions and time periods. While KwaZulu-Natal is an epicenter for Middle Stone Age (MSA) research, the Late Pleistocene LSA record is largely understudied in this region. Here we present a lithic assemblage from the site Umbeli Belli near Scottburgh dated to 17.8 ± 1.5ka BP. The lithic analysis of the GH 3 assemblages revealed both gradual and abrupt changes within this stratigraphic horizon, indicating relatively short-term changes in material cultural traditions. A comparison with other Robberg sites in the wider surroundings highlights the regional variability of the Robberg techno-complex and indicates potential directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three authors research surface archaeological records dominated by low-density scatters and isolated artifacts, archaeological phenomena frequently encountered during cultural resource management (CRM) projects in areas of the United States and Australia. We each began researching surface artifact scatters for different reasons but converged on approaches that emphasize the formation of these forms of archaeological deposits. Through a variety of projects, we asked a common set of questions about the processes that both buried and exposed these materials, the methods needed to obtain a chronology in different regions, and the ways we might interpret artifacts found together in different densities. Answering these questions led to the collection and analyses of datasets in innovative ways and the questioning of a number of archaeological categories often thought of as fundamental for archaeological research. Here, we review examples of our respective research and consider the implications for CRM projects dealing with surface lithics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quartz lithic technology was relevant for the human populations that inhabited the El Alto-Ancasti mountain range (Catamarca) during the first millennium AD. This is characterized by the presence of very simple retouched tools with very low labor investment. However, in the Oyola 7 rockshelter, we have identified a set of projectile points, which show a certain variety of designs, but also a greater work investment due to the bifacial manufacture and certain standardization of sizes and shapes. The main goal of this paper is therefore to present the technological characteristics of this set of projectile points, emphasizing the context in which they come from, a cave with rock art and which is the only archaeological site in which projectile points were recorded in this area of eastern Catamarca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to contribute, from lithic technology studies, to understand ways of life, I analyzed the lithic artifact assemblage from a structure of Las Escondidas (Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca). I put into dialogue archaeological models in use in Antofagasta de la Sierra-of adaptive roots-with an approach that highlights the social role of technology in the construction of the world. I became interested in the dispositions of the technological habitus that enabled and restricted the choices involved in the making, maintenance, and use of stone tools in this context. I built a technological model for the analyzed context, which represents the repertoire enabled by the technological habitus expressed in the attributes of the artifactual set. The material, technical, procedural, and endpoint variability of the analyzed assemblage allows us to delve into the complexity of the lithic technology of the first millennium A.D. in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 22ka and 9ka ago, after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and during the transition to the Holocene, mobile hunter-gatherer populations, differentiated by their stone tool assemblages, periodically dispersed and contracted across Europe. It is well understood that climate played an important role in human distributions and population sizes during the post-LGM Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, but the question remains as to whether increasing population sizes drove early human dispersal. Here, using a spatiotemporal species distribution model to infer the fundamental and potential human climatic niche space of Late Upper Paleolithic, Final Paleolithic and Early Mesolithic Europe, and hypotheses derived from the Ideal Distribution Model, we test i) how changes in climate affected the size and extent of the projected potential human niche space, ii) for effects of changes in size of projected potential niche on regional human population sizes, iii) whether increasing human population sizes drove human dispersal into less climatically suitable habitats, and iv) whether populations associated with different high-order material culture groupings (macro-level technocomplexes) occupied different climatic spaces. We find that changes in climate correlate strongly with the size and extent of the projected potential human niche space, that increases in the projected human niche space correlate with increases in human population, that human population size is just beginning to become large enough to influence land use and dispersal patterns at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, and that archaeological technocultural entities overlap in their fundamental climatic niche space. This overlap implies that changing tools forms cannot readily been seen as reflecting adaptations to changing climates. • Changes in climate correlate with the size and extent of the human projected potential niche space. • Increases in the geographic size of the projected potential niche space correlate with increases in human population size. • Larger human population sizes push people to occupy less suitable habitats. • Climate can impose constraints on human population size, limiting the effects of human population size on dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technocomplexes of the European Lower Palaeolithic are often attributed to the so-called Acheulean. Through several prehistoric sites located in the South Armorican coast, a distinct and contemporary Acheulean cultural facies was proposed at the end of the 1980s. Based on the study of lithic industries at the Pointe de Saint-Colomban site in Carnac, it is called "Colombanian" and is characterised by the coexistence of macro-tools on pebbles and a variety of small tools on flakes. As is often the case, the presence or absence of handaxes is a determining criterion to qualify a lithic assemblage as "Acheulean". However, this categorial attribution loses all meaning when a technological analysis is conducted. Consequently, we used a techno-structural approach to illustrate the technological and functional variability of lithic artefacts from the early occupations of the Pointe de Saint-Colomban site (layers 5, 6 and 7). The application of the "chaîne opératoire" principle allowed us to reveal the processes and objectives of the lithic production system and to establish a homogeneous reading grid among the different pieces of the assemblage. We present here the data from our study which clearly shows that the "Colombanian" is no longer valid and that we need to initiate a change of definition. The lithic industry of the Pointe de Saint-Colomban site is dominated by the concept of flaking (débitage) represented by numerous cores and flake tools. The concept of shaping (façonnage) is illustrated by only two sandstone pebble tools. All this highlights the diversity and originality of the lithic technical systems of the Lower Palaeolithic of the Atlantic Armorican coastline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the typological and geochemical analysis of the archaeological materials recovered from the Chapelco Chico 1 site, the easternmost site located in the binational Valdivian basin. A novel obsidian record of the FHH chemical group is highlighted, associated with an expeditive lithic technology and monochrome painted and incised pottery, which allows its association with other wooded and lacustrine contexts of both Andean mountain slopes: the Argentine Norpatagonia and the Chilean Araucania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quina Mousterian is one of the well-defined Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes. Despite the pivotal research carried out in south-western France, the presence of this techno-complex across the rest of Europe is still poorly documented. Here we apply a techno-functional approach, combining technological and use-wear analyses, for reconstructing lithic core-reduction, tool-reduction, and tool use at De Nadale Cave, a single-layered Mousterian site with Quina features located in northern Italy and dated to the early MIS 4. Our results indicate that the flexible core reduction strategies identified at De Nadale show some similarities with the Quina knapping method, in addition to the adoption of centripetal methods on single surfaces. Variations of this scheme identified at De Nadale are the exploitation of lateral and narrow fronts which are aimed to the production of elongated, small blanks. A parallel, ramified reduction is applied to limace cores and Quina or demi-Quina scrapers having diversified purpose (mixed matrix). These blanks are exploited as tools and cores-on-flakes from which thinner, usable flakes or bladelets are detached. The use-wear identified on both scrapers and reaffutage flakes further confirm this behavior, demonstrating the use of both tools, albeit for different tasks (i.e., scraping and cutting). We discuss the ecological implications of this behavior within the Quina Mousterian. The high frequency of retouched tools and Quina or demi-Quina scrapers seems to accompany the highly mobile human groups associated with this techno complex and their seasonally organized subsistence strategies. Finally, by combining available multidisciplinary data on paleoenvironment, subsistence, and chronology, we were able to embed the neanderthal settlement of De Nadale in a regional and Western European frame, underlining the importance of the Quina Mousterian in Western Eurasia between MIS 4 and early MIS 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stone‐tipped weaponry was important for the survival of past peoples, and many functional and non‐functional factors likely influenced their design. Two functional factors that past peoples likely considered in the design of their stone tips are durability (whether or not a stone tip breaks) and robusticity (how much damage is incurred upon breakage). Many factors have been shown experimentally to influence stone tip influence durability and robusticity, including stone raw material. Here, we further explore the relationship between stone raw material and stone tip durability and robusticity via controlled experiments comparing chert and obsidian. We first demonstrate with semi‐static fracture strength analyses that obsidian stone tips require less force to break than do chert stone tips. We then show with dynamic ballistics impact testing that obsidian stone tips are less durable and robust than chert stone tips. Our results are entirely consistent with previous experimental comparisons of chert versus obsidian stone tips, and support the hypothesis that past peoples, when presented with multiple raw materials, likely weighed their costs and benefits in the process of selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Māori discovered and used a range of obsidian sources throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Temporal patterns in the economic use of obsidian are investigated with geochemical data, a technological analysis, and use-wear analysis of obsidian artifacts. We examined 11 metrics related to geologic source, flake size, fragmentation ratio, and use-wear on assemblages of artifacts over 20 mm in size from seven North Island assemblages dating to the Early/Middle (AD 1250–1600) and Late (post-AD 1600) periods. Sites are in three locations, Ahuahu Great Mercury Island, Pouerua, and Kohikia. We begin by examining change over time from the Early/Middle to Late Period in a single location—Ahuahu Great Mercury Island—then consider Late Period geographic variation in obsidian economization across all three locations. The technical analysis results, including the size of artifacts and fragmentation ratios of assemblages, support the proposal that obsidian was used more economically later in time. Use-wear metrics generally indicate greater economization of material in the Early/Middle Period. While reuse of artifacts and post-depositional damage are compounding underdetermined factors, the analysis documents a shift in the type of economization of obsidian in Aotearoa New Zealand from conservation focused on the maximization of use (Early/Middle) to the maximization of the number of artifacts (Late). We speculate that this may be due to population increase resulting in a larger number of people to provision with obsidian, and decreased direct access to raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 50000 stone artefacts have been recovered from the prehistoric site of Leang Bulu Bettue (LBB), on the Wallacean island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia. This large assemblage offers the opportunity to produce a large‐scale, comprehensive model of the early lithic technologies of South Sulawesi. Through the analysis of half of this assemblage, this study identifies a technological shift between the artefacts produced ca.50–40 thousand years ago (ka) – the "Lower Industry" – and the "Upper Industry" artefacts produced ca.40–16 ka. The majority of the assemblage belongs to the Upper Industry, and these artefacts are associated with portable art, ornamentation, and the Homo sapiens remains reported in previous works. These Upper Industry artefacts are largely made on chert that was brought to the site, sometimes in the form of large flake blanks, which was further reduced within the cave and used for ochre and plant processing. Artefact reduction was strategic during this period, and the bipolar method was frequently used for controlled reduction of flakes of various sizes. This represents a shift from the technology seen on the small number of Lower Industry artefacts, recovered from the deeper deposits. The oldest lithic artefacts yet reported from the site were made on immediately available limestone pieces, which were reduced through least‐effort and non‐intensive flake removal dictated by the available platforms. This study is compared to an analysis of Pleistocene artefacts at the nearby site of Leang Burung 2, where a similar technological shift has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of lithic morphological variability during the Acheulean is a much-debated topic, especially in the late Acheulean of the Levant. To explore this issue, we present a 3D analysis of 260 handaxes from Jaljulia, a recently discovered late Acheulean site dated to ca. 500–300/200 ka. We employ a comprehensive suite of 3D methods aimed at reconstructing the technological and morphological choices enacted by the Jaljulia knappers. These methods include the precise calculation of orthogonal measurements, center of mass, surface area, edge length, and geometric morphometrics, as well as new metrics for quantifying handaxe outlines and distribution of mass. Scar density was used to reconstruct the handaxe reduction strategies employed at the site. Our analyses reveal that the Jaljulia handaxes are diverse in shape suggesting that they were made following a flexible reduction sequence involving an expedient selection of initial nodules of varying sizes. This reduction strategy was geared toward improving the refinement and outline quality of the handaxes, but not imposing any shape constraints. The expediency and relative crudeness of the handaxes from such a late Acheulean site belie the commonly held perception that handaxes improve through time during the Acheulean. This is true on an intra-site scale also, with the oldest excavation area containing the most refined and smooth-edged handaxes. Finally, we consider how this newfound morphological flexibility and expediency of nodule selection fit within the complex lithic variability occurring in the terminal phase of the Acheulean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Upper Palaeolithic Hamburgian tradition reflects the earliest known human presence in northern Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum. We report here on the open-air site of Jels 3 (Denmark) and its associated stone tool assemblage, which can be unambiguously attributed to this period. Along with only a handful of other sites, Jels 3 represents the northernmost limits of human expansion in Europe at this time. We conduct a technological analysis of the lithic material from Jels 3 and other relevant sites to shed new light on the behavioral processes that likely underwrote this expansion. Given that sites dating to this initial dispersal remain few, are restricted to certain geographic regions, and represent an overall lack of a well-developed settlement hierarchy, we suggest that this dispersal process is most commensurable with the earlier stages of a leap-frogging colonization targeting specific landscape elements and that it was quite possibly very short-lived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to advance in the studies of lithic production in the archaeological sites Los Varela Recinto 11 and El Polear 1, two Aguada sites inhabited during the Middle Period (c. VI - XI AD) in the Ambato Valley (Catamarca, Argentina). To study the lithic assemblages, the techno-morphological analysis of the carved lithic material, the technical-morphological and morphological-functional analyzes of the polished artifacts were implemented through macroscopic observation. The results obtained allowed to characterize the lithic assemblages of both sites, as well as to observe differences and similarities in the production of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluting is a technological and morphological hallmark of some of the most iconic North American Paleoindian stone points. Through decades of detailed artifact analyses and replication experiments, archaeologists have spent considerable effort reconstructing how flute removals were achieved, and they have explored possible explanations of why fluting was such an important aspect of early point technologies. However, the end of fluting has been less thoroughly researched. In southern North America, fluting is recognized as a diagnostic characteristic of Clovis points dating to approximately 13,000 cal yr BP, the earliest widespread use of fluting. One thousand years later, fluting occurs more variably in Dalton and is no longer useful as a diagnostic indicator. How did fluting change, and why did point makers eventually abandon fluting? In this article, we use traditional 2D measurements, geometric morphometric (GM) analysis of 3D models, and 2D GM of flute cross sections to compare Clovis and Dalton point flute and basal morphologies. The significant differences observed show that fluting in Clovis was highly standardized, suggesting that fluting may have functioned to improve projectile durability. Because Dalton points were used increasingly as knives and other types of tools, maximizing projectile functionality became less important.We propose that fluting in Dalton is a vestigial technological trait retained beyond its original functional usefulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Fin del Mundo is an archaeological site in Sonora, northwest Mexico, that contains a buried Clovis megafauna kill in a lowland area and concentrations of Clovis and later lithic materials scattered on the deflated surface of the surrounding uplands. The Clovis lithic assemblage from the site, identified by its technological and typological features, has been classified into three modes: bifaces, unifaces, and blades. The kill locality only contains Clovis points, whereas the assemblage from the uplands includes multiple bifaces reflecting diverse stages of the manufacture process from blank production to finished, highly reduced, and discarded broken Clovis points, numerous end scrapers, and blades and blade manufacture byproducts. This assemblage is indicative of a campsite where stone tool production and possibly other domestic tasks took place. In addition, a rhyolite outcrop near both the campsite and the kill was intensively exploited, as reflected in the high proportion of this raw material in the Clovis assemblage. Unequivocal association of the kill locality and the campsite is not confirmed; however, the configuration of the site indicates that the campsite was established in uplands near locations with water, game, and lithic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In stone artefact studies, researchers often rely on qualitative classifications to describe flake scar arrangements on cores. While this approach provides a broad overview of core reduction patterns, its application can be ambiguous due to the three-dimensional complexities of core geometry and the subjective nature of qualitative classifications, making it challenging to objectively compare flake scar patterning across different analytical settings. In this study, we present a new approach to quantify one aspect of flake scar arrangement on cores: the three-dimensional orientation of core scar negatives. Using standardised digital and experimentally flintknapped cores, we demonstrate that statistical techniques from fabric analysis can quantitatively characterise the scar orientation profile of cores. Importantly, this method is able to reveal variations in the flake scar arrangements of informal cores, such as multiplatform cores. When applied to a sample of multiplatform cores from the Homo floresiensis type-site of Liang Bua in Indonesia, we identify differences in flake scar orientation between cores made by Homo floresiensis and those manufactured by modern humans who utilised the site after the disappearance of the extinct hominin. This finding suggests a possible divergence in stone knapping practices between the two hominin taxa at Liang Bua. Overall, our research provides a new quantitative approach to gain new insights into hominin technological behaviour through stone artefact analysis. It also highlights the potential of 3D analysis for advancing the field of archaeological lithic research. • A new method for quantifying the 3D orientation of flake scars on cores. • Major core types can be differentiated on the basis of flake scar orientation data. • Effective in characterising scar pattern variability among multiplatform cores. • Detected scar orientation differences at the Homo floresiensis site of Liang Bua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in the composition of lithic assemblages stems from the combined action of different agents. In this study we used shifts in the relation between lithic artefact density and lithic technological organisation as a tool to better understand the underlying causes of lithic techno-typological variability throughout the archaeological sequence of Nesher Ramla (Israel). Nesher Ramla is a Middle Palaeolithic open-air site found in a karst sinkhole, where human occupation took place in situ. The upper part of the site's sequence (Units II-I, dated to Marine Isotope Stage 5), is characterised by sharp shifts in lithic artefact densities, concomitant with changes in the composition of the lithic assemblages. Using lithic artefact density as a proxy, we were able to partially dissect palimpsests at the site as well as isolate which components of the lithic assemblages are affected by the length of the site occupation and which are possibly the outcome of different activities performed on-site (i.e., the site function) or result from the stylistic preferences of the site inhabitants. We suggest that the role played by the site within past hunter-gatherers' mobility systems changed from the occupation of Unit IIB-Lower, when it was possibly repeatedly used for hunting and processing animal resources, to Unit I, when it was only sporadically visited for more general purposes. Morphological changes in the karst sinkhole over time are suggested as the major causes of change in site use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occupation of Buang Merabak, a cave located on the island of New Ireland, by 42,000 years ago demonstrates that the colonisation of the Bismarck Archipelago occurred soon after that of Sahul. This provides the opportunity to consider the adaptation of small groups of people to a depauperate island environment. An analysis of a lithic assemblage from Buang Merabak was used to consider how technological organisation reflects changing patterns of site use and subsistence strategies from the late Pleistocene through to the early Holocene. A strategy of small simple flake technology was identified, which would have allowed site occupants flexibility in the face of fluctuating patterns of faunal resource use. During the late Pleistocene, a broad range of local lithic materials were used expediently. Gradual change occurred in the early Holocene to a smaller variety of materials with dominant use of local chert flakes and conservation of specific volcanic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]