Hand grip diversity and frequency during the use of Lower Palaeolithic stone cutting-tools

Key, Alastair; Merritt, Stephen R.; Kivell, Tracy L.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.08.006

Cited by 40 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 89 publications

(161 reference statements)

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“…Following previously published analyses of grip variation during the use of handaxes (Key et al . in press; Marzke and Shackley ), all participants were limited to using grips where the thumb and fingers secured the handaxe on opposing sides of the tool and contact point between the palm and handaxe may go no further than 50% of the handaxe's length away from the tool's base (Fig. ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several types and variants of grips conform to these restrictions, which together account for upwards of 85% of manual positions used during handaxe use (Key et al . in press). Particularly small handaxes were able to be held with a pad‐to‐side precision grip (Marzke and Shackley ; Key et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Particularly small handaxes were able to be held with a pad‐to‐side precision grip (Marzke and Shackley ; Key et al . in press). All handaxes, no matter how large, were required to be held with a single (dominant) hand.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examples of the permissible grips used by participants during the experiment. Depicted are variants of the same grip: a five‐jaw buttressed pad‐to‐pad (Key et al in press), with the index finger recruited in opposition to the thumb (a) and in opposition to the handaxe's working edge (b, c). [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall tool‐size and shape attributes, meanwhile, affect the ergonomic nature of the tool, how precisely it may be applied during cutting and how much force is required to stabilize the tool in the hand, as well as the length of utilizable cutting edge (Hall ; Key et al . in press; Jones ; Rossi et al . ; Seo and Armstrong ; Toth and Schick ; Wynn and Gowlett ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biometric variables predict stone tool functional performance more effectively than tool‐form attributes: a case study in handaxe loading capabilities

Key

Lycett

2018

Archaeometry

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Both the form of a stone tool and the anatomy of the individual using it have potential to influence its cutting performance. To date, however, the selective pressures acting on stonetool form and hominin biometric/biomechanical attributes have been investigated in isolation and their relative influence on performance have never been compared directly. This paper examines the influence of both tool-form attributes and biometric variation on the functional performance of Acheulean handaxes. Specifically, it investigates the impact of 13 tool attributes and eight biometric traits on the working forces applied through the edge of 457 replica tools. The relative contribution of tool-form and biometric attributes to handaxe loading levels were examined statistically. Results identify that both tool-form attributes and biometric traits are significantly related to loading; however, tool-user biometric variation has a substantially greater impact relative to tool-form attributes. This difference was demonstrated by up to a factor of 10. These results bear directly on the co-evolutionary relationships of stone tools and hominin anatomy, and the comparative strength of selective pressure acting on each. They also underline why handaxe forms may have been free to vary in form across time and space without necessarily incurring critical impacts on their functional capabilities.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biometric variables predict stone tool functional performance more effectively than tool‐form attributes: a case study in handaxe loading capabilities

Key

Lycett

2018

Archaeometry

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Electrodermal activity during Lower Paleolithic stone tool handling

Fedato

Silva‐Gago

Bernal

et al. 2019

American J Hum Biol

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ObjectivesHand coordination is a key feature in primate evolution at both behavioral and cognitive levels. Humans further improved their manual abilities, and their cognitive niche is deeply associated with hand‐tool relationships and technological capacity. A main cognitive change is thought to be related to the transition from Oldowan to Acheulean stone tool technology around 1.7 million years ago. In this survey, we test whether distinct Lower Paleolithic tools induce different electrophysiological reactions during haptic exploration.MethodsElectrodermal activity is a relatively quick way to measure emotional and attentional changes during specific tasks. We analyzed changes of the electrodermal response and electrodermal level during Oldowan and Acheulean stone tool handling in a sample of 46 right‐handed adult subjects with no previous archeological knowledge.ResultsElectrodermal proxies for attention and emotion display a skewed distribution. Females present more variable reactions than males and more emotional engagement. Acheulean tools require longer manipulation time and exert less emotional response than Oldowan tools. Attention is influenced by tool length and weight, emotion is sensitive to tool thickness and weight, and manipulation time depends on tool length and width.ConclusionsThis study suggests subtle but detectable perceptual differences when handling Oldowan and Acheulean stone tools. Such variations associated with hand‐tool interaction can provide information on haptic and prosthetic capacities associated with our specialized technological resources. Perceptual changes in the archeological record can reveal evolutionary changes in the corresponding body‐tool cognitive mechanisms.

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Not a matter of shape: The influence of tool characteristics on electrodermal activity in response to haptic exploration of Lower Palaeolithic tools

et al. 2021

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Objectives Haptics involves somatosensory perception through the skin surface and dynamic touch based on the proprioceptive response of the whole body. Handling Palaeolithic stone tools influences the arousal and attentional engagement, which can be detected and measured through electrodermal activity. Although tool shape has generally been studied to consider tool functions or tool making, it is also a major factor in tool sensing and haptic perception. The purpose of this survey is to analyze whether the electrodermal reactions are influenced by stone tool morphology. Methods We first quantify the morphological variability of 72 stone tools through geometric morphometrics. Then, 12 stone tools from the previous sample were randomly selected to perform the electrodermal analysis in a sample of 46 right‐handed adults. Results Elongation is the main factor involved in Lower Palaeolithic shape variation, followed by the position of the maximum thickness. Attention and manipulation time are mainly influenced by tool size, while arousal mostly correlates with tool weight. Electrodermal activity is apparently not influenced by the overall tool shape. Tool size, weight, and base morphology are the variables that mainly trigger an electrodermal reaction. Conclusions Electrophysiological reaction is more sensitive to specific physical features of the tool than to its general outline. These features are not particularly different in worked pebbles and handaxes in terms of grasping, but underwent remarkable changes in other technological traditions. That changes associated with behavioral performances can be employed in cognitive archaeology to investigate the relationships between tool sensing and tool use.

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Hand grip diversity and frequency during the use of Lower Palaeolithic stone cutting-tools

Abstract: The version in the Kent Academic Repository may differ from the final published version. Users are advised to check http://kar.kent.ac.uk for the status of the paper. Users should always cite the published version of record.

Cited by 40 publications

References 89 publications

Biometric variables predict stone tool functional performance more effectively than tool‐form attributes: a case study in handaxe loading capabilities

Biometric variables predict stone tool functional performance more effectively than tool‐form attributes: a case study in handaxe loading capabilities

Electrodermal activity during Lower Paleolithic stone tool handling

Not a matter of shape: The influence of tool characteristics on electrodermal activity in response to haptic exploration of Lower Palaeolithic tools

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