Edge damage distribution at the assemblage level on Middle Stone Age lithics: an image-based GIS approach

Bird, Catherine; Minichillo, Tom; Marean, Curtis W.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2006.08.005

Cited by 39 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Comparing edge damage to a random or uniform distribution as a proxy for taphonomic damage is reasonable when there is no systematic patterning in edge angle, but when there is, or when the distribution of edge angle is unknown, it is necessary to compare with empirical experimental assemblages that include the same variability in edge angle as archaeological assemblages. In other words, finding that an assemblage distribution of damage is significantly non-random (i.e., Bird et al 2007;Schoville, 2010) does not necessarily imply behavioral edge damage formation. To account for both tool shape and edge angle in this dissertation, damage distributions will be compared to random, but also to empirical taphonomic edge damage distributions from lithic material separated into morphologically similar categories as archaeological tools so that edge angle is accounted for.…”

Section: Shape and Edge Anglementioning

confidence: 97%

“…The method used in this dissertation builds upon a more quantitative approach through analysis of assemblage distributions of edge damage. This approach was initiated by Bird et al (2007) to look at the patterns of edge damage on a sample of points from Pinnacle Point Cave 13B (PP13B), South Africa, and then refined further by Schoville (2010) using the complete sample of MSA points from PP13B. In these studies, instances of edge damage scars along the edge are mapped onto the artifact images in GIS, and then aggregated by assemblage to create summary distributions.…”

Section: Inferring Technological Adaptationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these studies, instances of edge damage scars along the edge are mapped onto the artifact images in GIS, and then aggregated by assemblage to create summary distributions. Bird et al (2007) then analyzed the distribution using circular statistics around the average midline of the artifacts, whereas Schoville (2010) analyzed the distribution relative to the base and tip of each point. In both studies, the archaeological distributions were compared to a random, or uniform distribution of edge damage to argue that the edge damage was unlikely to be of taphonomic origin.…”

Section: Inferring Technological Adaptationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pryor (1988) shows that lithic artifacts trampled on sandy surfaces can produce short, broad, randomly placed scarring, whereas loamy surfaces can produce more elongated and clustered edge damage scars. Bird et al (2007) argue that the collective result of taphonomic studies of edge damage is that right now it is "virtually impossible to determine whether sparse damage is due to trampling or use of individual artifacts. "…”

Section: Inferring Tool Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Patterned taphonomic edge damage has implications for behavioral inferences based on the statistical difference between archaeological edge damage distributions and random (e.g., Bird et al, 2007)-testing archaeological data against random alone is insufficient to exclude post-depositional damage processes as the causal agent. Therefore, in this dissertation, archaeological damage distributions will be compared to the actual trampling distributions rather than 'random' (or uniform) alone to identify post-depositional patterning.…”

Section: Trampling Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape variability in tool-use and edge damage formation in South African Middle Stone Age lithic assemblages

Schoville

2016

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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This study explores how early modern humans used stone tool technology to adapt to changing climates and coastlines in the Middle Stone Age of South Africa. The MSA is associated with the earliest fossil evidence for modern humans and complex cultural behaviors during a time period of dramatic climate change. Human culture allows for the creation, use, and transmission of technological knowledge that can evolve with changing environmental conditions. Understanding the interactions between technology and the environment is essential to illuminating the role of culture during the origin of our species. This study is focused on understanding ancient tool use from the study of lithic edge damage patterns at archaeological assemblages in southern Africa by using image-based quantitative methods for analyzing stone tools. An extensive experimental program using replicated stone tools provides the comparative linkages between the archaeological artifacts and the tasks for which they were used. MSA foragers structured their tool use and discard behaviors on the landscape in several ways -by using and discarding hunting tools more frequently in the field rather than in caves/rockshelters, but similarly in coastal and interior contexts. This study provides evidence that during a significant microlithic technological shift seen in southern Africa at ~75,000 years ago, new technologies were developed alongside rather than replacing existing technologies. These results are compared with aspects of the European archaeological record at this time to identify features of early human technological behavior that may be unique to the evolutionary history of our species.ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Section: Shape and Edge Anglementioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Inferring Technological Adaptationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Inferring Technological Adaptationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Inferring Tool Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trampling Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape variability in tool-use and edge damage formation in South African Middle Stone Age lithic assemblages

Schoville

2016

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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GIS and paleoanthropology: Incorporating new approaches from the geospatial sciences in the analysis of primate and human evolution

Anemone

Conroy

Emerson

2011

American J Phys Anthropol

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The incorporation of research tools and analytical approaches from the geospatial sciences is a welcome trend for the study of primate and human evolution. The use of remote sensing (RS) imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) allows vertebrate paleontologists, paleoanthropologists, and functional morphologists to study fossil localities, landscapes, and individual specimens in new and innovative ways that recognize and analyze the spatial nature of much paleoanthropological data. Whether one is interested in locating and mapping fossiliferous rock units in the field, creating a searchable and georeferenced database to catalog fossil localities and specimens, or studying the functional morphology of fossil teeth, bones, or artifacts, the new geospatial sciences provide an essential element in modern paleoanthropological inquiry. In this article we review recent successful applications of RS and GIS within paleoanthropology and related fields and argue for the importance of these methods for the study of human evolution in the twenty first century. We argue that the time has come for inclusion of geospatial specialists in all interdisciplinary field research in paleoanthropology, and suggest some promising areas of development and application of the methods of geospatial science to the science of human evolution. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 54: 19-46, 2011. V

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Retouched, rejuvenated, recycled and occasionally hafted as projectiles: stone points of Holocene Australia

Maloney

2019

Archaeology in Oceania

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Macroscopic evidence for projectile use of stone points across the Kimberley region of northern Australia is examined using archaeological assemblages from the mid to late Holocene. There is scant evidence to support more than occasional projectile use. High rates of rejuvenation, recycling and continuous resharpening contribute to the low frequency of impact damage. The extent and location of edge damage, interpreted as probable use-wear, is demonstrated to have distribution patterns consistent with multipurpose functions. Projectile use was merely one, albeit infrequent function of these versatile tools. This study uses use-wear data to engage with technological organisation theory and discusses rates of use, resharpening, rejuvenation and recycling. Standardisation and an emphasis on maintainability provide the best explanation as to why people produced these tools during the Holocene. RESUMELes preuves macroscopiques de l'utilisation de pointes de pierreà l'aide de projectiles dans la région de Kimberley, dans le nord de l'Australie, ontété examinéesà l'aide d'ensembles archéologiques datant de l'Holocène moyenà tardif. Il existe peu de preuves pour appuyer davantage que l'utilisation occasionnelle de projectiles. Les tauxélevés de rajeunissement, de recyclage et de réaffûtage continu contribuentà la faible fréquence des dommages par impact. L'étendue et l'emplacement des dommages sur les bords, interprétés comme une usure probable, présentent des schémas de distribution compatibles avec les fonctions polyvalentes. L'utilisation de projectiles n'était qu'une des fonctions, même si ellesétaient peu fréquentes, de ces outils polyvalents. Cetteétude utilise des données d'usure pour porter sur la théorie de l'organisation technologique et pour discuter des taux d'utilisation, de réaffûtage, de rajeunissement et de recyclage. La normalisation et l'accent mis sur la maintenabilité fournissent la meilleure explication sur la raison pour laquelle les gens ont fabriqué ces outils pendant l'Holocène.

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Edge damage distribution at the assemblage level on Middle Stone Age lithics: an image-based GIS approach

Cited by 39 publications

References 29 publications

Landscape variability in tool-use and edge damage formation in South African Middle Stone Age lithic assemblages

Landscape variability in tool-use and edge damage formation in South African Middle Stone Age lithic assemblages

GIS and paleoanthropology: Incorporating new approaches from the geospatial sciences in the analysis of primate and human evolution

Retouched, rejuvenated, recycled and occasionally hafted as projectiles: stone points of Holocene Australia

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