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Ant 373 Lecture 22 Notes

This document summarizes a new system for categorizing stone tools based on how they were made rather than their intended function. It outlines 9 modes of modification: A-G involve fracturing stone, H-I involve abrasion. Mode A is using a hammerstone to cause a fracture. Mode B is initiating a fracture by placing an object between two surfaces. Mode C is striking flakes from rounded stones. Modes D-G describe different types of retouched flakes and cores. Mode H involves abrading stone edges rather than fracturing. Mode I describes ground stone tools. Before humans migrated out of Africa they exhibited all modes except H and I. This system aims to classify stone tools based on manufacturing technique over assumed purpose.

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42 views2 pages

Ant 373 Lecture 22 Notes

This document summarizes a new system for categorizing stone tools based on how they were made rather than their intended function. It outlines 9 modes of modification: A-G involve fracturing stone, H-I involve abrasion. Mode A is using a hammerstone to cause a fracture. Mode B is initiating a fracture by placing an object between two surfaces. Mode C is striking flakes from rounded stones. Modes D-G describe different types of retouched flakes and cores. Mode H involves abrading stone edges rather than fracturing. Mode I describes ground stone tools. Before humans migrated out of Africa they exhibited all modes except H and I. This system aims to classify stone tools based on manufacturing technique over assumed purpose.

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rgardnercook
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Lecture 22

Wednesday, November 12, 2014


2:39 PM

The New Way to Do Stone Tools


A way to describe the way in which stone tools are made, not a way to describe stone tools
themselves
Use the minimum number of categories
No assumption that it is known what the tool was used for (most tools having multiple
uses)
Morphological, not functional
Modes:
A-G involve fracture
Stone tool modification that involve a hierarchy, and those that don't
Hierarchical: one side of an edge is treated different from another side of the edge
Non-hierarchical: treatment alternates in some way
H-I involve abrasion
A: Using a hammerstone to cause a fracture, not necessarily a flake
B: When you initiate a fracture by putting an object between two surfaces and apply load;
bipolar percussion/flaking
Present in the oldest stone tools, and is still in use today
C: Taking a rounded rock and striking flakes off at alternating directions; clasts, nodules, pebble
cores; tabular stones
D: Retouched flakes
1. Scrapers, denticulates, notches
70 degrees or less; sharp edge
A continuum, with one strike creating a notch, another creating a denticulate, more
resulting in a scraper
2. Tools w/ a blunt edge knapped onto them
70 degrees or more
3. Fracture propagates beneath the edge; burin
4. Microliths, requiring more skill than larger tools
5. Points; retouched edges that converge
6. Flakes that have a tang attached to them; a projection formed by two sets of concavities
E: Elongated, non-hierarchical cores
1. Long core tools (LCTs); handaxes, cleavers, picks; "large cutting tools"
2. Thinned bifaces
3. Tanged bifaces
4. Long bifacially flaked, typically with a special working edge perpendicular to the length (at
the tip); celts
F: Bifacial hierarchical cores (BHCs); replaces Levallois
1. Preferential BHCs
2. Recurrent laminar BHCs; when flaked in a line
3. Recurrent radial BHCs
G: Unifacial hierarchical cores; one surface is used as a strike platform
1. Platform cores; length < twice the width
2. "Blades"; length > twice the width
Human Dispersal ANT373-573 Page 1

H: Edge abraded tools; functional cutting edge shaped by abrasion rather than fracture
Reduces friction, maximizing work
Takes a great deal of time, but can work w/ stone that is not conchoidal (e.g. granite or
jade)
Inuit ulu is one example of a slicing sort
I: Groundstone
Grindstones (querns) are an example
Before humans leave Africa they exhibit almost all of these modes
Only H and I are not exhibited
Some, such as mode E, are left behind when they leave
A system for discovering patterns
See handout

Human Dispersal ANT373-573 Page 2

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