Phylotechnical Tree at Olduvai Gorge
Session Number
Project ID: BHVSO 18
Advisor(s)
Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged; University of Chicago
Discipline
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Start Date
22-4-2020 10:05 AM
End Date
22-4-2020 10:20 AM
Abstract
To better understand the Oldowan-Acheulean cultural transition.
The Oldowan-Acheulean transition is poorly understood relative to its significance in human evolution and cognition. Understanding the way stone tools changed through time is paramount to understanding the cultural and technological capabilities of early hominins. Previous attempts that describe this transition by using test subjects, are imperfect due to early hominins not having the modern context of technological use and innovation. This study circumvents that issue by describing and analyzing only tool shape in order to better describe the transition between Oldowan and Acheulean cultures. Specifically, it examines Olduvai Gorge lithics from 1.87 ma to 1.27 ma in order to construct a map of the most similar shapes over time. To isolate shape from other metrics, tool size is accounted and adjusted for, material selection was not considered, and two separate geometric invariants were used: major axis divided by the minor axis, and the major axis divided by the maximum thickness. The mapping of these tool relationships implies that scrapers are central to the transition between Oldowan and Acheulean cultures and that slow technological changes in the Oldowan could have allowed for the emergence of the Acheulean large cutting tools (LCTs).
Phylotechnical Tree at Olduvai Gorge
To better understand the Oldowan-Acheulean cultural transition.
The Oldowan-Acheulean transition is poorly understood relative to its significance in human evolution and cognition. Understanding the way stone tools changed through time is paramount to understanding the cultural and technological capabilities of early hominins. Previous attempts that describe this transition by using test subjects, are imperfect due to early hominins not having the modern context of technological use and innovation. This study circumvents that issue by describing and analyzing only tool shape in order to better describe the transition between Oldowan and Acheulean cultures. Specifically, it examines Olduvai Gorge lithics from 1.87 ma to 1.27 ma in order to construct a map of the most similar shapes over time. To isolate shape from other metrics, tool size is accounted and adjusted for, material selection was not considered, and two separate geometric invariants were used: major axis divided by the minor axis, and the major axis divided by the maximum thickness. The mapping of these tool relationships implies that scrapers are central to the transition between Oldowan and Acheulean cultures and that slow technological changes in the Oldowan could have allowed for the emergence of the Acheulean large cutting tools (LCTs).