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New Experiments and a Model-Driven Approach for Interpreting Middle Stone Age Lithic Point Function Using the Edge

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Middle Stone Age (MSA) stone points reveal varied tool use, serving as armatures or cutting tools. This research differentiates behavioral wear from post-depositional damage, offering insights into early human technology and foraging strategies.

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Area of Science:

  • Archaeology
  • Paleolithic studies
  • Lithic analysis

Background:

  • The Middle Stone Age (MSA) in Africa (starting ~500,000 years ago) is characterized by innovations like symbolic material culture and complex technologies.
  • Unretouched triangular stone points are a persistent and visible MSA technology, offering potential insights into early hominin behavior, technological choices, and foraging strategies across changing Pleistocene environments.

Observation:

  • Distinguishing between damage from tool use (behavioral) and post-depositional processes (taphonomic) on lithic artifacts is crucial but challenging.
  • Experimental replication of edge damage on stone points under controlled conditions allows for the creation of reference datasets for wear patterns.
  • Taphonomic damage can obscure or mimic behavioral use-wear, complicating interpretations of prehistoric tool function.

Findings:

  • This study presents experimental data on edge damage formation from both behavioral and taphonomic processes on unretouched lithic points.
  • Quantitative comparison of experimental wear patterns with archaeological data from Kathu Pan 1, Pinnacle Point Cave 13B, and Die Kelders Cave 1 assemblages.
  • Results indicate variable MSA stone point utilization: armature tips at Kathu Pan 1 and cutting tools at Pinnacle Point and Die Kelders, with evidence of post-depositional damage across all sites.

Implications:

  • The findings demonstrate distinct behavioral strategies for stone point use across different MSA sites.
  • The developed methodology allows for the differentiation of behavioral use-wear from taphonomic damage, enhancing artifact analysis.
  • This approach provides a framework for addressing landscape-scale questions regarding early modern human tool use and site utilization patterns.