Revisiting the Acheulian Large Cutting Tools of ‘Ubeidiya, Israel

Herzlinger, Gadi; Brenet, Michel; Varanda, Alexandre; Deschamps, Marianne; Goren‐Inbar, Naama

doi:10.1007/s41982-021-00108-2

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…This implies adding an important nuance to the hypothesis on the onset of the European Acheulean proposed by Moncel et al (2020a) by clearly pointing to the technology represented by 'Ubeidiya as the key referent for what we have recorded c. 1 Ma ago in the eastern coast of Iberia. 'Ubeidiya, in fact, holds the most comprehensive known record of Early Acheulean culture outside Africa (Herzlinger et al, 2021) and shows a set of features that we also described for the Barranc de la Boella assemblage. Similarities can be seen in terms of the management of raw materials that overcomes their constraints, a definite preference for producing specific tools on particular rock types, a technological forecast and certain planning capacities visible from the large-tool technology, and a spatiotemporal fragmented reduction sequence for these elements, with initial production phases located beyond the sites.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

“…Similarities can be seen in terms of the management of raw materials that overcomes their constraints, a definite preference for producing specific tools on particular rock types, a technological forecast and certain planning capacities visible from the large-tool technology, and a spatiotemporal fragmented reduction sequence for these elements, with initial production phases located beyond the sites. This goes together with a clear low modification intensity of the flake blanks, a less standardized core reduction than in younger Acheulean occurrences, the presence of two general classes (the handaxe and the non-handaxe groups, the latter including the well-represented picks), and a preferential investment in the design of the final tool given to its tip (Herzlinger et al, 2021). As previously mentioned, Barranc de la Boella is the only Early Pleistocene site in Western Europe to exhibit this particular collection of technological features.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…This tool type has unequally been classed in the literature. While some authors included them in the heavy-duty secondary class (Kleindienst, 1962;Isaac, 1977), they are commonly counted among the LCTs in more recent works (e.g., Sharon, 2007;Kuman, 2019;Herzlinger et al, 2021, to mention but a few). However, there is general agreement on considering them bifacial forms (Leakey, 1971), characteristic of the Acheulean (Isaac et al, 1997;Stout, 2011;de la Torre, 2016, and references therein).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The earliest European Acheulean: new insights into the large shaped tools from the late Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain)

et al. 2023

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Since the oldest known Acheulean lithic techno-typological features in Europe were reported at the site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain), continuous fieldwork has been conducted there in archeological deposits of the late Early Pleistocene age (0.99–0.78 Ma). As a result, excavations in two of the three open-air localities have significantly expanded the collection of lithic and faunal remains, allowing us to make progress in the interpretation of the hominin behaviors in an open-air fluvial-deltaic sedimentary environment. This includes examples of cumulative palimpsests, such as those found at the locality of La Mina, in which hominins only had a minimal role as modifying agents, as well as the extraordinary mammoth butchery site recorded at the Pit 1 locality. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive update of the collection of large shaped tools and to assess its significance in the framework of the earliest occurrence of the Acheulean in Europe. This cultural entity is increasingly well-documented for the early Middle Pleistocene, but very little is known about its presence in Europe before the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary. Large shaped tools appear in the three localities explored in the Unit II of Barranc de la Boella, including choppers (unifacial and bifacial) and standard Acheulean forms, such as picks, knives, and cleaver-like forms. Techno-typological and morphometrical analyses revealed a basic heavy-duty component obtained through simple shaping sequences coupled with significantly more elaborate tools produced on various large blanks (cobbles, slabs, or flakes). The complete bifacial and bilateral shapings have yet to be documented, but the present specific tool assemblage attests to the Early Acheulean technological threshold. Hence, the archaeological data from Barranc de la Boella provide insights into the first appearance of the Acheulean technology in Europe and add critical information to the debate on the technological variability of the Early Pleistocene hominin occupation of the continent. The results of this study revealed a technological assemblage unique in the known late Early Pleistocene archeological record from Europe, different from the rest of ancient Acheulean sites in this continent, which are dated at the Middle Pleistocene. This lends support to the hypothesis that Barranc de la Boella may represent a previously unrecognized Early Acheulean dispersion out of Africa connected to its first evidence at the gates of Eurasia, potentially moving over the northern Mediterranean coastal road to reach Western Europe.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The earliest European Acheulean: new insights into the large shaped tools from the late Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain)

et al. 2023

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“…As for the SDI, its simplicity has led to a more widespread use, as demonstrated by its application in many chronologically, geographically, and technologically diverse archaeological contexts (Clarkson 2013;Clarkson et al 2014;Ditchfield 2016;García-Medrano et al 2018;Glauberman et al 2020;Groucutt et al 2017;Hawkins & Mosig Way 2020;Herzlinger et al 2021;Li et al 2015;Sánchez-Yustos et al 2017;Shipton & Clarkson 2015a;b;Shipton et al 2019;Valletta et al 2021;Werner & Willoughby 2017). However, in this study, we have documented quite different results regarding the real distributions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Establishing a new workflow in the study of core reduction intensity and distribution

Lombao

Rabuñal

Cueva-Temprana

et al. 2023

JLS

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New methodological approaches focused on studying the reduction and use-life of stone tools have emerged in recent years, enabling researchers to move beyond strict technical and technological characterizations and explore specific aspects of occupation dynamics and economic management of resources. Previous studies have shown the importance of reduction distributions of individual measurements rather than averaged values. In this sense, survival analysis, and more specifically Weibull distributions, are one of the main inferential tools used in reduction studies. However, the resolution of Weibull distribution obtained from different methods has not been tested experimentally. In this paper, we present an evaluation of some of the main methods used in the study of core reduction intensity, such as the Volumetric Reconstruction Method, the Scar Density Index, and the non-cortical surface percentage. Our results show 1) strong and positive correlations between these approaches and actual reduction intensity, 2) similar Weibull distributions for non-cortical surface percentage, Volumetric Reconstruction Method, and logarithmic transformation of Scar Density Index. In addition, 3) the results from each method show a similar intra-assemblage variation, with a high percentage of agreement between them. As a result, all the evaluated proposals are useful and reliable methods for estimating the degree of reduction. Finally, a workflow is proposed for approaching reduction in archaeological assemblages by integrating different methods in the same study.

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“…Key (2019) has proposed, based on 2D and 3D analyses, that while the shape of Acheulian handaxes tends to be diverse and variable, their form is strongly dictated by the volume of the material used. Herzlinger et al (2021b), however, argue, based on an analysis of Large Cutting Tools from early Acheulian 'Ubeidiya, that while the final form of thee artifacts was strongly affected by the morphological properties of the selected material, the initial choice to use this specific nodule/blank represents a purposeful selection. According to Herzlinger et al (2021b), this reflects the advanced planning capacities of this early Acheulian population.…”

Section: The Main Technological Trajectories Of the Acheulianmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flint Type Analysis at Late Acheulian Jaljulia (Israel), and Implications for the Origins of Prepared Core Technologies

et al. 2022

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Prepared Core Technologies, often considered a hallmark of the Middle Paleolithic Mousterian, have recently been observed, to some extent, in many late Lower Paleolithic Acheulian sites. This may indicate a Lower Paleolithic origin of the Levallois method, although the circumstances leading to its emergence, spread and assimilation are still debated. We aim at contributing towards this intriguing issue by studying patterns of flint procurement and exploitation at Late Acheulian Jaljulia (Israel; ∼500–300 kya). We classified artifacts into flint types, using four samples: a general sample, bifaces, “regular” cores with one/two striking platforms, and prepared cores, divided into proto-Levallois, prepared (general) and discoid cores. A geologic survey located potential flint sources, and a petrographic analysis was used to assign flint types to sources. Our results show that while local Turonian flint of the Bi’na Formation dominates the general sample, selectivity in using specific flint types was observed, including among local materials. While brecciated flint types are especially common among handaxes and discoid cores, among proto-Levallois and prepared cores (general), fine-textured homogenous flint types are more common, suggesting that such flint types are better-suited when improved control over the end-product was desired. Based on our results, and following previous suggestions, we support the hypothesis that prepared core technologies in the Levant did not originate from one single technological trajectory. We support the idea that the production of predetermined blanks was based on knowledge gathered from several technological trajectories, including mainly biface shaping and the production of flakes from regular cores. This novel method was most likely transmitted time and again between individuals, gradually adjusting it to produce improved end-products. We see these conclusions as additional support for the view of prepared core technologies at the Late Acheulian as a demonstration of cumulative culture, and the existence of high-fidelity social learning mechanisms in practice already during the late Lower Paleolithic of the Levant.

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Revisiting the Acheulian Large Cutting Tools of ‘Ubeidiya, Israel

Cited by 9 publications

References 31 publications

The earliest European Acheulean: new insights into the large shaped tools from the late Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain)

The earliest European Acheulean: new insights into the large shaped tools from the late Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain)

Establishing a new workflow in the study of core reduction intensity and distribution

Flint Type Analysis at Late Acheulian Jaljulia (Israel), and Implications for the Origins of Prepared Core Technologies

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