The geological occurrence of lithic material and stone tool production strategies

Abstract

This study shows how the occurrence of lithic raw‐materials articulate with hunter gatherer technological organization. Three archaeological data sets representing 109 different sites and one ethnographic data set from Australia are examined to show that lithic raw‐material size, shape, quality, and availability play a major role in hunter gatherer decisions to make various kinds of stone tools. These characteristics of lithic material occurrence are used to help explain why expedient technologies such as bipolar tool production are sometimes used, and why formalized technologies such as bifacial production may be selected as a tool production strategy. Stone tool morphological variability and technological variability are shown to be directly related to the geological occurrence of stone tool raw materials. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The lithology of Ogallala gravels and hunter‐gatherer procurement strategies along the Southern High Plains eastern escarpment of Texas, USA

“…The larger-sized clasts available and overall abundance of lithic material did not inhibit the choice of core reduction techniques for most of the material types. That situation might not have been the case otherwise in a region that was limited in raw material resources (e.g., Andrefsky, 1994). Analysis of 925 pieces of debitage from the three localities corroborates the types of cores found at the quarries.…”

“…Shape analysis, which measures the degree of roundness and form for nodules, was assessed for determining how the shape of different materials would impact core reduction strategies (Shelley, 1993:64;Andrefsky, 1994;Kuhn, 1995:106). Roundness was used as an estimate for the frequency of suitable platforms with edge angles 90°o r less for detaching flakes.…”

“…Bipolar and split-cobble reduction strategies should be used more frequently on nodules with well-rounded edges and spheroid forms (Crabtree, 1972;Shelley, 1993:68) due to the lack of platform angles 90°or less and a preexisting platform surface. In archaeological assemblages, researchers have found that bipolar reduction is a frequent reduction strategy for smaller spheroid shape nodules (Andrefsky, 1994). In contrast, the flatter cross-sections of disk and blade shapes provide a preexisting template for using a bifacial technology (Shelley, 1993:69;Kuhn, 1995:106).…”

“…Of particular interest was how the types of knappable stone, spatial distribution of lithic resources, and shape of nodules influenced lithic manufacture (Ericson, 1984;Andrefsky, 1994).…”

gestion des matières premières :

“…Ils dépendent aussi des habitudes culturelles des groupes (Julien 1992 : 176 (Andrefsky 1994a(Andrefsky , 1994bBouzouggar 1997;Bamforth 2001). Diverses autres caractéristiques comme la forme et la dimension sous laquelle la pierre se présente peuvent influencer l'utilisation préférentielle de certaines matières par les tailleurs (Hawkins et Kleindienst 2002;Doelman et al 2001 (Andrefsky 1994a;MacDonald 1995;Ingbar 1992;Cowan 1999;Brumbach et Weinstein 1999;Bamforth 1991Bamforth , 2001Odell 2004).…”