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Early knapping techniques do not necessitate cultural transmission.
William D Snyder1, Jonathan S Reeves1,2, Claudio Tennie1,3
1Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Science Advances
|July 20, 2022
Summary
Early stone tool production, or knapping, techniques can be learned individually. This study shows that cultural transmission is not necessary for learning early knapping, challenging previous assumptions.
Area of Science:
- Human Evolution
- Archaeology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Early stone tool production (knapping) is often cited as the earliest evidence of cultural transmission.
- Previous studies suggested cultural transmission opportunities were necessary for learning knapping techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if early knapping techniques can be learned through individual learning alone.
- To challenge the necessity of cultural transmission for early stone tool production.
Main Methods:
- Tested 28 human participants in cultural isolation.
- Provided raw materials and a puzzle task for motivation.
- Assessed learning of early knapping techniques through individual effort.
Main Results:
- 25 out of 28 participants, who were initially naive to the techniques, individually learned early knapping.
- Participants successfully produced and used core and flake tools.
- Demonstrated individual learning capability for early stone tool production.
Conclusions:
- Early knapping techniques do not necessitate cultural transmission of know-how.
- These techniques could have been individually derived by premodern hominins.
- Individual learning is a viable pathway for the emergence of early stone tool technologies.
