Use-wear and residue analysis of pounding tools used by wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) from Serra da Capivara (Piauí, Brazil)

Arroyo, Adrián; Falótico, Tiago; Burguet-Coca, Aitor; Expósito, Isabel; Quinn, Patrick; Proffitt, Tomos

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102690

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…Such methods have been used to characterize the percussive damage produced by wild chimpanzee nut cracking [19]. These techniques have also been shown to be useful in quantifying residue distribution on wild capuchin hammerstones from Serra da Capivara National Park (Brazil) [23]. By applying the same methods to experimental anvils [13] or knapping hammerstones [22], specific use-wear patterns can be compared to archaeological artefacts to allow for more robust identification and interpretation of behaviours.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These methods, however, largely require the projection of a 3D surface in 2D. While these methods work well when damage occurs on flat surfaces, active regions of percussive tools are often not located solely on flat surfaces [23]. Percussive tools accrue damage on multiple faces over time [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include nut cracking, digging, stone on stone percussion, gastropod processing, oyster processing, seed and fruit processing [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. Primate stone tool behaviours create differentiated identifiable signatures [19,21,23,36], leaving an archaeologically durable record [40][41][42][43][44]. These archaeological records of behaviour can be used to identify and reconstruct past primate tool use [20,43,44].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three-dimensional surface morphometry differentiates behaviour on primate percussive stone tools

Proffitt

Reeves

Benito‐Calvo

et al. 2021

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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The Early Stone Age record preserves a rich behavioural signature of hominin stone tool making and use. The role of percussive technology in the daily subsistence strategies of our earliest ancestors has seen renewed focus recently. Studies of modern primate tool use highlight the diverse range of behaviours potentially associated with percussive technology. This has prompted significant methodological developments to characterize the associated damage marks (use-wear) on hammerstones and anvils. Little focus has, however, been paid to identifying whether these techniques can successfully differentiate between the damage patterns produced by specific and differing percussive behaviours. Here, we present a novel workflow drawing on the strengths of visual identification and three-dimensional (3D) surface quantification of use-wear. We apply this methodology firstly to characterize macaque percussive use-wear and test the efficacy of 3D surface quantification techniques in differentiating between percussive damage and natural surface topography. Secondly, we use this method to differentiate between use-wear associated with various wild macaque percussive behaviours. By combining analyst-directed, 3D surface analysis and use-wear dimensional analysis, we show that macaque percussive behaviours create specific diagnostic signatures and highlight a means of quantifiably recording such behavioural signatures in both primate and hominin contexts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three-dimensional surface morphometry differentiates behaviour on primate percussive stone tools

Proffitt

Reeves

Benito‐Calvo

et al. 2021

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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“…In the past few years, ethological studies have documented stone tools use among capuchin monkeys in the Piauí region (Proffitt et al 2016;Arroyo et al 2021). Parenti (2001, 43) also describes the direct interaction with monkeys at the very site, given that monkeys would sometimes throw cobbles on the excavators from the top of the cliff.…”

Section: The Ethological Data: Monkey Business?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Questioning the Anthropic Nature of Pedra Furada and the Piauí Sites

Coutouly

2021

PaleoAmerica

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Many archaeologists are still skeptical about a human presence in the Americas during or before the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM), considering that the claim is not yet sustained by hard evidence. Boqueirão da Pedra Furada (Brazil) is one of the most famous pre-LGM claims, but the site has so far been considered ambiguous, and similar concerns have been raised about nearby sites. Nonetheless, for E. Boëda and co-workers, who have been working at these sites, researchers who are still skeptical about the anthropic origin of the assemblages have a psychological barrier and no scientific arguments. Are all skeptics completely blinded by their preconceptions that they cannot see the obvious and unambiguous evidence? To find out, I reviewed the numerous publications of the Piauí sites and the outcome of my analysis is quite simple: the anthropic nature of the LGM/pre-LGM artifacts of the Piauí sites has not been demonstrated.

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“…These tools appear in the archaeological record from very early periods to the present day, across a wide geographic distribution (Adams, 2002;Cristiani et al, 2012;de Beaune, 2004;Dubreuil, 2014;Goren-Inbar et al, 2002;Hayes, 2015;Liu et al, 2010;Pop et al, 2018;Rosenberg & Nadel, 2017;Torre & Mora, 2010;Valamoti et al, 2013;Wright, 1994). GST use is shared with primates who crack nuts (Boesch and Boesch, 1984;Whiten et al, 2005;Arroyo et al, 2021). In addition, GST are generally well preserved and found in abundance in various archaeological contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using mechanical experiments to study ground stone tool use: Exploring the formation of percussive and grinding wear traces on limestone tools

Paixão

Pedergnana²,

Marreiros

et al. 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Ground Stone Tools (GST) have been identified in several Levantine archaeological sites dating to the Middle Paleolithic. These tools, frequently made of limestone, are often interpreted based on their morphology and damage as having been used for knapping flint, and sometimes for breaking animal bones or processing vegetal materials as well. However, the lack of experimental referential collections on limestone is a major obstacle for the identification of diagnostic traces on these types of tools and raw material. In this sense, the understanding of the specific function of these GST and the association between tool types and activity often remains unknown or merely speculative.Recent discoveries at the site of Nesher Ramla revealed one of the largest Middle Paleolithic assemblages of limestone GST. Our use-wear analysis has identified several types of both macro and micro-wear traces on different tools. Such diversity highlights the need for developing an experimental reference collection that can enable detailed comparison between experimental and archaeological use-wear evidence.In this paper, we present the results of mechanical experiments specially designed to understand and quantify major characteristics of macro and micro use-wear traces on limestone GST as a result of three main activities: 1) animal bone breaking, 2) flint knapping and 3) grinding acorns. This study pursues three main goals: a) improving our ability to distinguish natural from anthropogenic alterations on limestone; b) identifying and characterizing differences between wear-traces (macro and micro) produced by different activities, and c) building a reference collection for thorough comparisons of use-wear and residues on archaeological tools.Our results indicate that it is possible not only to identify anthropogenic alterations but also to specifically distinguish the use-wear traces formed on limestone as result of percussive activities of bone and flint. This is shown by controlled experiments allowing variables other than the worked material to remain constant.This study aims to contribute towards establishing an experimental and multi-scale library of usewear traces on limestone.

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Use-wear and residue analysis of pounding tools used by wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) from Serra da Capivara (Piauí, Brazil)

Cited by 16 publications

References 87 publications

Three-dimensional surface morphometry differentiates behaviour on primate percussive stone tools

Three-dimensional surface morphometry differentiates behaviour on primate percussive stone tools

Questioning the Anthropic Nature of Pedra Furada and the Piauí Sites

Using mechanical experiments to study ground stone tool use: Exploring the formation of percussive and grinding wear traces on limestone tools

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