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Insights into early lithic technologies from ethnography.

Brian Hayden1

  • 1Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 bhayden@sfu.ca.

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|October 21, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Oldowan stone tools were likely used for crafting spears and digging sticks, not just butchering. Bipolar reduction of small pebbles, not large choppers, best produced sharp flakes for early hominin needs.

Keywords:
Oldowanethnographic analogyprimatesstone tools

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Area of Science:

  • Paleolithic archaeology
  • Early hominin technology
  • Lithic analysis

Background:

  • Oldowan lithic assemblages are traditionally linked to butchering animal carcasses.
  • Previous research focused on flake production from large cores for cutting purposes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate the primary function of Oldowan tools.
  • To investigate alternative methods of flake production for early hominins.
  • To explore the technological lineage leading to the Oldowan.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Oldowan lithic assemblages.
  • Ethnographic research on contemporary stone tool-using hunter-gatherers.
  • Experimental archaeology focusing on lithic reduction techniques.

Main Results:

  • Bipolar reduction of small pebbles is more efficient for producing sharp flakes than using large cores.
  • Ethnographic data suggests Oldowan-like tools were primarily used for crafting shaft tools (spears, digging sticks).
  • Bipolar reduction aligns with primate nut-cracking behaviors, suggesting a technological precursor.

Conclusions:

  • The primary function of many Oldowan tools was likely crafting simple shaft tools.
  • Bipolar reduction represents an earlier and more fundamental lithic technology than chopper-like core reduction.
  • This research provides a new perspective on the evolution of early hominin lithic industries.