Theory and Experiment in the Study of Technological Change

Schiffer, Michael Brian; Skibo, James M.

doi:10.1086/203601

Cited by 327 publications

(193 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In fact, scraper production and manufacturing style (Weedman Arthur, 2008: p. 83) are issues that may be considered in our case (Civalero, 2016). We think that the particular way of making the tools reported here represents a particular type of technological knowledge (Schiffer & Skibo, 1987) mainly related to its fabrication method during the early Holocene.…”

Section: Morphological and Technological Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinctive Unifacial Technology during the Early Holocene in Southern South America

Nami¹,

Civalero²

2017

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The early Holocene archaeological record in Northwest Santa Cruz province in southern Argentina is remarkable in its richness. Among the lithic remains, most notable is a stemless triangular projectile point dating to ~8.5 -10 uncalibrated kya. As part of a long term program directed to explore and understand diverse aspects of lithic technologies from Patagonia, this paper reports new observations on a set of notable unifacial tools existing in the assemblage accompanying them. Based on archaeological and experimental data we hypothesize they were produced from thick flake-blanks with one face totally or partially covered by flake scars sometimes reaching the longitudinal symmetry axis. This fact suggests that before being finished, it was reduced by detaching flakes from the edge to its center. This recent technological discovery allowed deepened on a new regional issue related with early Holocene unifacial tools that emerge as a peculiar style of covering unifacial flaking with subtle production differences to other similar implements. Together with the triangular points, this particular way of preforming the tool before and/or during the final shaping might be another distinctive manufacturing technique used by early Holocene hunter-gatherers in the area.

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Section: Morphological and Technological Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinctive Unifacial Technology during the Early Holocene in Southern South America

Nami¹,

Civalero²

2017

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“…Tehnologija se, međutim, posmatra daleko šire, i to ne samo kao sled operacija, odnosno operativni lanac -chaîne opératoire, koji je sproveden da bi se proizvela jedna keramička posuda. Ona pre svega podrazumeva posedovanje i prenošenje određenih znanja (Lemonnier 1986;Schiffer and Skibo 1987), ali i čitav niz radnji i interakcija -od procesa izrade do odbacivanja (Miller 2007;Vuković 2015;Vuković, u štampi). Stoga arheometrijske analize, koje omogućavaju kvalitativnu i kvantitativnu karakterizaciju keramike predstavljaju samo jedan korak u konačnom sagledavanju kulturnih praksi i procesa.…”

Section: Tehnologija Keramike I (Etno)arheometrijaunclassified

Pottery Studies and Archaeometry: Between Scientific Analyses and Archaeological Interpretation

Vuković

2017

EAP / IEA

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Keramičke studije i arheometrija: između analiza prirodnih nauka i arheološke interpretacije * Apstrakt: U radu su razmotreni odnos između studija keramike i primene metoda prirodnih nauka u keramologiji kroz istoriju discipline, postojanje nerazumevanja između stručnjaka prirodnih nauka i arheologa i njegovim posledicama, kao i ograničenja metoda prirodnih nauka u odgovoru na arheološke probleme. Ukazano je na potrebu za čvršćim interdisciplinarnim istraživanjima, sa precizno definisanim teorijskim okvirom i jasno formulisanim istraživačkim pitanjima i hipotezama.Ključne reči: arheometrija, keramika, istorija discipline, arheološka interpretacija Od samih početaka arheologije keramika je prepoznata kao vrsta nalaza koja je hronološki osetljiva i stoga pogodna za datovanje, formiranje relativno-hronoloških šema i razmatranje kulturne pripadnosti, migracija ili širenja kulturnih uticaja. Razvojem keramičkih studija ubrzo je sa ovih kulturno-istorijskih pozicija u proučavanje keramike uveden čitav niz tema, pa one danas uključuju razmatranje ekonomije, stila, identiteta, funkcije itd. (detaljnije u: Vuković, u štampi). Usložnjavanju i proširivanju tema u keramologiji svakako je doprinela i primena metoda prirodnih nauka, posebno zahvaljujući njihovom ubrzanom razvoju tokom druge polovine XX veka. Istovremeno, u arheologiji uopšte, pa i u okviru studija keramike, to je za posledicu imalo i pojavu tenzija i nerazumevanja između zagovornika "tvrde" nauke koji smatraju da samo ona vodi objektivnom saznanju i onih koji u tome vide dehumanizaciju arheologije (cf. * Ovaj članak je rezultat rada na projektu 177012 koji finansira Ministarstvo prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja Republike Srbije. On predstavlja dopunjenu i proširenu verziju istoimenog saopštenja s konferencije "Srpska arheologija između teorije i činjenica V -Arheologija između artefakata i ekofakata", održane 1-2. aprila 2017. godine na Filozofskom fakultetu u Beogradu.

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“…In material sciences, material selection and processing leads to particular structures of artefacts, giving rise to properties that determine artefact performance. Artefact performance has been defined as the 'behavioral capabilities that an artefact must possess in order to fulfil its functions in a specific activity' (Schiffer and Skibo 1987). The role of material scientists is thus to make explicit the nature and characteristics of a structure, and to use that knowledge as a guide for realising particular structures and properties.…”

Section: What Is Materials Culture Studies?mentioning

confidence: 99%

An archaeological study of the Zimbabwe Culture capital of Khami, southwestern Zimbabwe

Mukwende¹

2016

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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This study sought to understand the archaeology of the Zimbabwe Culture capital of Khami through synchronic and diachronic analyses of its material culture. The research employed a number of methodological approaches that included a review of historic documents, surveying and mapping, excavations, museum collection analysis, and artefact studies, in order to collect datasets from various sections of the site, including the walled and the nonwalled areas. The main indication is that there is a great deal of similarity in material culture distribution across the whole site. An analysis of objects by stratigraphic sequence exposes continuity and change in local and imported objects. Dry stone-wall architectural data suggests that the site was constructed over a long period, with construction motivated by a number of expansionary factors. The study confirms that Khami began as a fully developed cultural unit, with no developmental trajectory recorded at Mapungubwe or Great Zimbabwe, where earlier ceramic units influenced later ones. Consequently, this study cautiously suggests that Khami represents a continuity with the Woolandale chiefdoms that settled in the south-western parts of the country and in the adjacent areas of Botswana. On the basis of the chronological and material culture evidence, Khami is unlikely to have emerged out of Great Zimbabwe. However, more research is needed to confirm these emergent conclusions, and to better understand the chronological and spatial relationships between not just Woolandale and Khami sites but also Khami and the multiple Khami-type sites scattered across southern Zambezia.ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Theory and Experiment in the Study of Technological Change

Cited by 327 publications

References 3 publications

Distinctive Unifacial Technology during the Early Holocene in Southern South America

Distinctive Unifacial Technology during the Early Holocene in Southern South America

Pottery Studies and Archaeometry: Between Scientific Analyses and Archaeological Interpretation

An archaeological study of the Zimbabwe Culture capital of Khami, southwestern Zimbabwe

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