The oldowan reassessed: A close look at early stone artifacts |
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Authors: | Nicholas Toth |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Anthropology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 U.S.A.;2. Institute of Human Origins, 2453 Ridge Road, Berkeley, California 94709, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | Early Stone Age assemblages called “Oldowan” and early “Developed Oldowan” are discussed, based on the results of a long-term study of Plio-Pleistocene sites at Koobi Fora, Kenya and an extensive experimental research program of replicating and using early stone artifact forms. Five major conclusions are drawn from this investigation: (1) many Oldowan core forms (“core-tools”) are probably simple by-products of flake manufacture rather than representations of stylistic norms; (2) flakes and retouched flakes - were essential tools in Oldowan technology, particularly for activities involving cutting; (3) this simple technology does not necessarily reflect the cognitive abilities of the early hominids that manufactured the stone artifacts; (4) there is evidence to show that Oldowan technology can be viewed as a simple curated one, in which raw material was intentionally carried from place to place for future use; (5) early hominid populations that made and used stone implements were not necessarily dependent upon them for their survival. |
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Keywords: | hominid evolution stone technology lower palaeolithic cognition oldowan stone tool typology |
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