New Approach to Analysis the Middle Paleolithic Points of the Iranian Plateau: Style vs. Environment

Feizi, Nasim; Nasab, Hamed Vahdati; Wynn, Thomas

doi:10.1080/01977261.2019.1686563

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The following sections highlight several approaches to the analysis of bilateral symmetry: a radial quali cation approach (Marathe, 1980), a radial quanti cation approach (Wynn & Tierson, 1990), the Continuous Symmetry Measure (Saragusti et al, 1998), a mental folding method (McNabb et al, 2004), the Index of Symmetry measure (Lycett et al, 2008) and the Index of Deviation of Symmetry by Feizi et al (2018Feizi et al ( , 2020. The most popular approach to 2D analyses of bilateral symmetry has been the Flip Test and its Asymmetry Index (Couzens, 2013 Radial Quali cation of Handaxe Bilateral Symmetry Marathe (1980) published this method as a novel techno-typological quali cation of handaxe morphology focused on discriminating 260 handaxes from two Indian locales -an Early-to-Middle Acheulean site at Chirki-on-Pravara and a Late Acheulean site at Paleru.…”

Section: Methods For the Analysis Of Symmetry In Acheulean Lctsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…used the IoS to infer that handaxe symmetry was subject to selection as the result of functional, social, or adaptive factors. Lycett and von Cramon-Taubadel (2008) used the IoS to analyze a sample of African and Eurasian handaxes to support their hypothesis that Acheulean technologies evolved in Africa and dispersed to northern and western Eurasia with migrating populations.Index of Deviation from SymmetryIn a pair of recent papers,Feizi et al (2018Feizi et al ( , 2020 have developed a novel Index of Deviation from Symmetry (IDS) as an approach to quantifying symmetry's relationship with the cognitive ability of archaic Homo by focusing on an assemblage from Mirak, Iran, an open-air Middle Paleolithic site. To evaluate bilateral symmetry, the IDS is calculated by enclosing a 3D model of an artifact within a quadrangle, then bifurcated the quadrangle down the long axis at 50% of the total width.…”

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A Volumetric Analysis of Handaxe Symmetry Referencing a Known Symmetrical Ideal

Hicks

2023

Preprint

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This article outlines a novel volumetric approach to analyzing 3D symmetry in Acheulean handaxes. This method offers a high-resolution analysis of Acheulean handaxe symmetry in three dimensions. It increases the resolution of the analytical model by orders of magnitude over current 2D planar and 3D geometric morphometric methods. After reviewing the history, conceptualization, application, and debate of symmetry, I focus on the archaeological discussion and evolutionary importance of symmetry in Acheulean handaxes. I review and critique previous analytical methods before introducing a volumetric approach using digitized stone artifacts and an ideal cordiform. I introduce the Omega (ω) Coefficient of Symmetry, a ratio describing the quotient of 1) the numerator — the maximum volume of an Ideal Cordiform (where Ideal is defined as bilaterally and bifacially symmetrical) that can occupy the topology of a digitized handaxe, and 2) the denominator, the volume of the digitized handaxe. I conclude by discussing the limitations and future applications of this method and its possible applications to unresolved debates in the field of evolutionary cognitive archaeology and beyond.

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Section: Methods For the Analysis Of Symmetry In Acheulean Lctsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Volumetric Analysis of Handaxe Symmetry Referencing a Known Symmetrical Ideal

Hicks

2023

Preprint

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“…In our analysis of the West Trench, we identified and documented two burials discovered in 1971: a single inhumation in Level B-02 (individual 'Ganj Dareh 14') and a triple burial in Level C-01 (individuals 'Ganj Dareh 15,16,and 17'). The triple burial corresponds to the 'sarcophagus' burial alluded to above.…”

Section: Burialsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Importantly, new research spearheaded by Iranian archaeologists is bringing to light important new data on areas that had been explored using different theoretical and methodological frameworks (e.g. [14,17]), highlighting the social dimensions of the Neolithization process (e.g., [13]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the spatial organization, stratigraphy and human occupations of the Aceramic Neolithic at Ganj Dareh, Iran

2021

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The Aceramic Neolithic site of Ganj Dareh (Kermanshah, Iran) is arguably one of the most significant sites for enhancing our understanding of goat domestication and the onset of sedentism. Despite its central importance, it has proven difficult to obtain contextually reliable data from it and integrate the site in regional syntheses because it was never published in full after excavations ceased in 1974. This paper presents the Ganj Dareh archive at Université de Montréal and shows how the documentation and artifacts it comprises still offer a great deal of useful information about the site. In particular, we 1) present the first stratigraphic profile for the site, which reveals a more complex depositional history than Smith’s five-level sequence; 2) reveal the presence of two possible pre-agricultural levels (H-01 and P-01); 3) explore the spatial organization of different levels; 4) explain possible discrepancies in the radiocarbon dates from the site; 5) show some differences in lithic technological organization in levels H-01 and P-01 suggestive of higher degrees of residential mobility than subsequent phases of occupation at the site; and 6) reanalyze the burial data to broaden our understanding of Aceramic Neolithic mortuary practices in the Zagros. These data help refine our understanding of Ganj Dareh’s depositional and occupational history and recenter it as a key site to improve our understanding the Neolithization process in the Middle East.

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The Tip Cross-sectional Area (TCSA) Method Strengthened and Constrained with Ethno-historical Material from Sub-Saharan Africa

Lombard

Lotter

Caruana

2022

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Work on large samples of southern African lithics, probably used to tip hunting weapons amongst other things, exposed limitations in the tip cross-sectional area method's robustness for hypothesising about variation in Stone Age/Palaeolithic weapon-delivery systems. Here we list some of the limitations and discuss a few recently published improvements in tip cross-sectional area ranges and data presentation.Our main contribution is the meaningful enlargement of datasets obtained from hafted weapon tips and/or weapon tips of known use mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. We brie y discuss why this region is relevant for studying trends in the evolution and development of hunting weapons. Our new data are used to strengthen and constrain the different TCSA ranges used as proxies for poisoned arrow tips, unpoisoned arrow tips, javelin tips, stabbing-spear tips, and to suggest a working TCSA range for thrustingspear tips. We demonstrate that the calibrated TCSA ranges have robust statistical integrity as proxies for the different weapon-delivery systems they represent. Apart from the dart-tip category, the TCSA method has now been improved to accommodate more nuanced and accurate interpretations, while further strengthening hypothesis building about ancient weapon systems.

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New Approach to Analysis the Middle Paleolithic Points of the Iranian Plateau: Style vs. Environment

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

A Volumetric Analysis of Handaxe Symmetry Referencing a Known Symmetrical Ideal

A Volumetric Analysis of Handaxe Symmetry Referencing a Known Symmetrical Ideal

New insights into the spatial organization, stratigraphy and human occupations of the Aceramic Neolithic at Ganj Dareh, Iran

The Tip Cross-sectional Area (TCSA) Method Strengthened and Constrained with Ethno-historical Material from Sub-Saharan Africa

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