Content uploaded by Harold L. Dibble
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Harold L. Dibble on May 04, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
Local raw material exploitation and its effects on Lower and Middle Paleolithic assemblage variability
... Stone procurement is influenced by the physical characteristics of the source area, the overall abundance of the material, the quality (flaking properties) of the material and the ease of extraction or accessibility, factors which directly influence the decisions people made in the past to procure and work particular stone resources (Andrefsky 1994a(Andrefsky , 1994bDoelman et al., 2001;2008, b;Rolland and Dibble, 1990;Dibble, 1991;Webb and Domanski, 2008;Bamforth, 1990Bamforth, ,1991. It is therefore important to have a thorough understanding of the geological context and physical properties of the available stone sources (Bamforth, 1992:131). ...
... stone tools, beads), ranging distances of human movement, transport and selectivity (e.g. Pelegrin et al., 1988;Boëda et al, 1990;Dibble, 1991;Féblot-Augustins, 1997;Minichillo, 2006). Understanding raw material exploitation provides an ideal proxy of past human behaviour, cognition and adaptation (Moutsiou, 2014) and as such the analysis of lithic raw materials should comprise an integral element of any field project. ...
Animal remains represent some of the most common finds at archaeological sites. Together with plant remains they constitute the most direct evidence for subsistence, as well as economic and social organisation in the past. As it is the case with the recovery of all archaeological materials discussed in this guide, the choices made in the field concerning sampling, recovery, documentation, recording and storage of animal remains heavily affect the quantity and quality of data extracted from them through study and analysis. This chapter serves as a basic practical guide for field archaeologists excavating such remains, focusing specifically on the island of Cyprus. The particularities of the island, including climate and environment and their effects on animal bone preservation are taken into consideration. Rather than being a comprehensive text on zooarchaeology in general, this guide focuses on methods used in the field for the recovery of bones, as well as their post-excavation treatment, analysis, and storage in order to facilitate and enhance their study by specialists.
... stone tools, beads), ranging distances of human movement, transport and selectivity (e.g. Pelegrin et al., 1988;Boëda et al, 1990;Dibble, 1991;Féblot-Augustins, 1997;Minichillo, 2006). Understanding raw material exploitation provides an ideal proxy of past human behaviour, cognition and adaptation (Moutsiou, 2014) and as such the analysis of lithic raw materials should comprise an integral element of any field project. ...
... However, this appears questionable, as such resharpening elements might just as equally stem from the thinning of bifacial tools and from the renewal of edges on unifacial tools. Moreover, extensive resharpening of tool edges also took place in industries where bifacial thinning, as well as bifacial tools, are uncommon (Dibble 1988(Dibble , 1991Kuhn 1995). In practice, it is o�en too difficult to separate resharpening elements from bifacial and unifacial tools, if both kinds of tool are present in the tool kit. ...
Second Part of the Kabazi V monograph.
We report on the application of a novel approach to exploring the degree of landscape knowledge, wayfinding abilities, and the nature of decision-making processes reflected in the utilization of stone resources in the French Middle Paleolithic. Specifically, we use data from the site of the Bau de l’Aubesier to explore the reasons why a majority of the 350 raw material sources cataloged in the surrounding region appear not to have been utilized, including several located near the site and yielding high-quality lithic materials. To this end, we focus on the spatial relationships between sources as an explanatory variable, operationalized in terms of minimum travel times. Using geographic information system software and a generalized linear model of resource selection derived from the Bau assemblages, we compute source utilization probabilities from the perspective of hominins located off-site. We do so under three optimization scenarios, factoring in the intrinsic characteristics (e.g., quality) and time required to reach each source on the way to the Bau. More generally, we find that in slightly more than 50% of cases, seemingly viable sources may have been ignored simply because the minimum cost path leading back to the Bau passes through or requires only minimal deviations to reach, higher quality options. More generally, we found that throughout the entire region, a cost/benefit analysis of competing sources favors those from source areas known to have been utilized. Virtually all the available information on lithic procurement at the Bau is consistent with a model of landscape utilization premised on detailed knowledge of a very large area, an ability to accurately estimate travel times between locations, and a pragmatic strategy of stone resource exploitation based on minimizing costs (travel and search times) and maximizing utility.
In the archaeological surveys of Susan plain in Khuzestan, 41 sites related to the stone age were identified. This paper aims to study the distribution pattern, cultural materials, environmental characteristics, classification and typology of stone industries in order to introduce and study the foundations of Eppipaleolithic epoch. These sites discovered in Susan Plain and the settlement of the region indicate that the position of the Karun River, which flows in the inner basin of the Susan plain, and the seasonal flows flowing from the Susan plain to the river, along with the geological features of the area, lead to Formation of the texture of the establishment of caves in the region has been considered as one of the most important factors in the formation of Susan Plain Stone Age enclosures. Based on the studies, it has been determined that 3091 stone products obtained in this region belong to the Eppipaleolithic period. The stone industry in this study shows the industry based on micro blades and blades that are made of cores. Indicator tools include small scratchers, nail scissors, small holes, small size shelves, blades and pinholes, and geometric pebbles. Among the cores, the conical micro blade core and the microstructure of rocks with 1 or 2 traps are the indexes. According to the study of stone handicrafts and the geological texture of the area referred to the bedding conglomeration bed, The analysis of the dimensions and sizes of these hand-made structures was carried out and the result showed that the small amount of scattered stone art in the plain due to the human in Eppipaleolithic period from the sandstone substrates of the Conglomerate bed surface of Susan plain, and the rubbles are capable of producing tools and hands Small constructs are in accordance with the indexes of the Eppipaleolithic period in small dimensions.
In the archaeological surveys of Susan plain in Khuzestan, 41 sites related to the stone age were identified. This paper aims to study the distribution pattern, cultural materials, environmental characteristics, classification and typology of stone industries in order to introduce and study the foundations of Eppipaleolithic epoch. These sites discovered in Susan Plain and the settlement of the region indicate that the position of the Karun River, which flows in the inner basin of the Susan plain, and the seasonal flows flowing from the Susan plain to the river, along with the geological features of the area, lead to Formation of the texture of the establishment of caves in the region has been considered as one of the most important factors in the formation of Susan Plain Stone Age enclosures. Based on the studies, it has been determined that 3091 stone products obtained in this region belong to the Eppipaleolithic period. The stone industry in this study shows the industry based on micro blades and blades that are made of cores. Indicator tools include small scratchers, nail scissors, small holes, small size shelves, blades and pinholes, and geometric pebbles. Among the cores, the conical micro blade core and the microstructure of rocks with 1 or 2 traps are the indexes. According to the study of stone handicrafts and the geological texture of the area referred to the bedding conglomeration bed, The analysis of the dimensions and sizes of these hand-made structures was carried out and the result showed that the small amount of scattered stone art in the plain due to the human in Eppipaleolithic period from the sandstone substrates of the Conglomerate bed surface of Susan plain, and the rubbles are capable of producing tools and hands Small constructs are in accordance with the indexes of the Eppipaleolithic period in small dimensions.
The Palaeolithic archaeological database of northwest Europe is biased towards evidence originating in caves, rockshelters, fluvial, and littoral settings. Theories of regional land use patterns are therefore based on samples of behavioral residues from only certain parts of the environment. In addition, abundant and often ignored evidence for Palaeolithic land use is found in surface lithic assemblages occurring on elevated terraces and plateaus in river catchments. Integrating technological data from these landforms is necessary to complement this unbalanced picture of land use. This dissertation presents the results of analysis of lithic assemblages from elevated surfaces in the region of Dutch and Belgian Limburg, and attempts to integrate these data with those from lower elevation parts of the landscape to test hypotheses on land use and mobility. It was necessary to address theoretical and substantive problems associated with the time averaged, palimpsest nature of surface assemblages. When scales of analysis and theoretical perspectives were adjusted to accommodate these problems, long-term patterns of regional land use behavior became identifiable. The research examines how lithic assemblages on elevated surfaces vary in terms of raw material procurement, inter-site fragmentation of core reduction sequences, and patterns of artifact discard; and how this variability relates to site occupational frequency, an indicator of differential land use. Detailed techno-typological analysis was applied to samples of lithic assemblages from 9 sites (n artifacts = 2885). Comparison among assemblages from high and low elevation settings was conducted using analyses of artifact class diversity in relation to sample size. The results of these efforts indicate differences in site occupational frequency that describe variability in site function. Over the long time span of the Middle Palaeolithic, stable elevated terraces and plateaus were frequently re-occupied for a variety of purposes, whereas lower elevation localities, often in fluvial settings, were occupied less frequently for specific tasks. Logistical mobility was probably more common than traditionally thought for Palaeolithic groups in the research area. This research demonstrates that systematic analysis of Palaeolithic upland surface assemblages yields valuable data that can be integrated with those from other parts of the landscape to investigate long-term regional land use.
The variations in the technological and typological composition of lithic assemblages from the Middle Paleolithic remains a subject of debate. The knapping methods, site occupation patterns or the organization of lithic technology are some of the underlying factors commonly cited as causes of this variability. Adding up to this is the need to increase the possible methodological tools for the analysis and comparison of lithic
assemblages.
The following PhD addresses this problematic through the development of controlled
experimentations that allow to test and propose new analytical methods, and through the
analysis of four lithic assemblages belonging to two different Middle Paleolithic site of
the Iberian Peninsula (the levels VII and XIf of Esquilleu cave and the levels IIIa and IIIb
of Teixoneres Cave).
The work has been divided in four blocks. The first block presents the introduction and
the conceptual frameworks under which the approach has been undertaken. The second
block is subdivided in the methodology employed and the experimentations linked to de
development of the work. The third block presents the archaeological sites and levels and
the results from the analysis of the lithic assemblages. The fourth and last block presents
the discussion of the results (focusing on the importance of thee results, linking them to
other published results, pointing limitations and making suggestions for further research)
and the conclusions.
The first experimentation employs a set of experimental flaks with different proportions
of retouched along with a protocol for extracting measures from digital photographs. Six
different observers are asked to take digital photographs and use the protocol to obtain
measures of length of the edge and length of the retouched edge, allowing to compare the
deviation in the obtained values. The second experimentation employs a sample of 24
flakes that are successively retouched and following three different patterns of retouch.
For each episode the height of retouch, the length of retouched edge and lost weight are
recorded, allowing to determine the degree of correlation between the combination of two
measures (height of retouch and length of retouched edge) with the weight lost by retouch.
The third experimentation uses 451 flaking products of 33 different cores from five
different knapping methods (one of them is subdivided in two phases making a total of six categories). A series of measures and attributes common to lithic analysis are taken
and employed to build a decision tree (type of machine learning process).
Results from the first experimentation show that the use of digital photographs to obtain
measures from the edge (length of the edge, length of the retouched edge and percentage
of retouched edge) have a high degree of reproducibility. The second experimentation
allows to propose a new index (the AvtL) that allows to estimate the weight/volume lost
by retouch. Correlation is high and it can be applied to different patterns of retouch. The
third experimentation allows to generate a Machine Learning decision tree model to
identify knapping methods in flaking products. This last experimentation also yields
results about the reproducibility in the identification of knapping methods, the
directionality of confusions, and which variables characterize the products from different
knapping methods.
Results from the archaeological assemblages are structured in five sections for each
assemblage. The first section analyzes flakes, presenting the results from the raw material
analysis, raw material quality, attributed knapping methods, identified technological
products, dimensional analysis, percussion platform analysis, scar directions, transversal
sections and edge angles. The second section repeats this analysis on retouched artifacts
adding the typological composition. The third section compares the results from the
analysis of flakes and tools (comparing raw material composition, dimensions, etc.).
Fourth section analyses the intensity and extension of retouch according to raw materials,
attributed knapping methods and technological products. The fifth and last sections use a
K-means clustering method and values from intensity and extension of retouch along with
raw material quality values to stablish groups of tools. This allows to identify groups
according to the retouch intensity, and identify patterns of selection and possible curated
toolkits among the retouched artifacts.
The comparison between levels is made following two approaches. First, a factorial
analysis using the frequency of technological products and attribution of knapping
methods is employed to determine what is characterizing each complete assemblage and
their subsets of tools and flakes. The values of the factorial analysis are employed to
reduce the dimensionality of the data and as values of a dendogram which allows to
stablish relations of similarity between assemblages. The second approach uses average
values of intensity an extension of retouch, quality of raw materials, their modal distribution and size differences between retouched and unretouched products to stablish
differences between assemblages.
Results from level VII of Esquilleu Cave show an increase in the use of silified lutites
although quartzite’s are still the most employed raw material. Levallois, hierarchical
Discoid and Discoid are the most important knapping methods. retuch is more intense
and extended in quartzite’s, and cluster analysis show a preference for backed flakes,
cortical products and some Levallois flakes.
Results from level XIf show a dominance of the Quina knapping method and the
quartzite’s as raw material (however there is a higher variability of quartzite’s). Intensity
and extension of retouch is much higher than previous levels, but not all materials are
intensively retouched. There is an important relation between tool type and retouch
intensity.
Results from level IIIa are conditioned by the low number of materials which show a
marked duality between the catchment of local low quality raw materials (quartz and
limestone) and on local high/medium quality raw materials (mainly flint). Levallois and
Tranche de Saucisson are the main methods. Only one element can be considered as a
curated toolkit while the rest of retouched products can be considered as complementary
provisioning strategies.
Results from level IIIb show a decrease of the duality between local/low quality and nonlocal/
high quality materials in favor of the last ones. This is a result of the catchment of a
higher diversity of raw materials (sandstones, quartzites, hornfels, etc.) which results in a
higher average raw material quality. Maine knapping methods continue to be Levallois
and Tranche de Saucisson. Analysis of intensity of retouch show important differences
respect to the previous levels. Distribution of retouch intensity is more gradual and several
products can be considered as curated toolkits.
The comparison between levels shows that XIf is characterized by the exclusivity of the
attribution of the Quina knapping method along with its own technological products (such
as the platform wrapping flakes or the Quina resharpening flakes). This makes the Quina
assemblages the most differentiated of all assemblages. Levels IIIa and IIIb are
differentiated from level VII because of the important presence of cortical core edge
flakes, the attribution of the Tranche de Saucisson method, and the low attribution of the
Discoide method and low presence of products such as pseudo-Levallois points. The
comparison following retouch intensity and extension, raw material quality and size differences between tools and flakes show important differences between levels. Despite
this levels XIf and IIIb are more similar than levels VII and IIIa which can be linked to
the intensity of occupations.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.