Quantification of late Pleistocene core configurations: Application of the Working Stage Analysis as estimation method for technological behavioural efficiency

Abstract

Which cores are more productive: Upper Palaeolithic blade cores or Middle Palaeolithic Levallois or discoidal cores? This question discussed since the 1960’s and the methodological problems in measuring lithic technological efficiency were the initial points for the present study. As a first step it seemed reasonable to clarify the term efficiency which is often used vaguely defined or runs even undefined in the context of the description of human technological behaviour. In this paper we discuss established approaches to late Pleistocene archaeology in order to analyse which type of efficiency is estimated by the respective methods, and what is defined as resource-input and what is seen as resource-output. In a second step, we apply the already introduced Working Stage Analysis to analyse the configuration of 601 cores shaped following ten different Middle and early Upper Palaeolithic reduction strategies employed at different sites of south western and central Europe. Although we are aware that the use of cores for such a kind of estimation might be critically discussed, this method has the potential to compl ement existing met hods. Our test stud y of the quantificati on of late Pleistocene core configurat ion produced reasonable results which we use to estimate technological behavioural efficiency. Thereby a clear differentiation of the analysed reduction strategies becomes obvious, filling a lack of empirical data for evaluating variable lithic technological efficiency.

• LRQ17

Resources

• Pastoors_Tafelmaier_Weniger_2015_Working Stage Analysis.pdf

Bibliography

Pastoors, A., Tafelmaier, Y., Weniger, G. (2015): Quantification of late Pleistocene core configurations: Application of the Working Stage Analysis as estimation method for technological behavioural efficiency. – In: Quartär, Vol. 62, p: 62-84, DOI: doi: 10.7485/QU62_3