Applying cultural evolutionary theory to the technological transition during the Late Pleistocene in Korea

Abstract

This is my PhD dissertation. In this research, I explore the technological transition from the Early to Late Paleolithic in Korea represented by the appearance of stemmed points through evolutionary concepts including human behavioral ecology (HBE) and cultural transmission (CT). I also examined differentlikely uses of stemmed points by measuring tip cross-sectional area (TCSA). The previous studies have primarily discussed the origin and route of stemmed points and blades while my research focuses more on related human behaviors and decision-making processes. I raised three questions to address cultural and environmental roles in the technological transition: what changes in foragers’ landscape use and mobility were associated with the introduction of new tools? What were stemmed points used for? And what was the dominant mode of cultural transmission during the time of technological innovation in the Korean Late Paleolithic? My approach to answer these questions is combined with traditional theoretical frameworks and novel methods for testing hypotheses.