Approaches to Lithic Technology: How Archaeological Practice Influences Interpretation of Past Lifeways through the Lens of Kharaneh IV

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Debitage Analysis: Case Studies, Successes, and Cautionary Tales" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Cultural affiliation and change in the Epipaleolithic (EP) period of Southwest Asia has historically been marked through microlithic stone tool technologies, where stone tool manufacturing is focused on the production of a large number of small bladelets then retouched into various microlith types. While researchers recognize the contributions of other aspects of the material culture record in defining the complexities of Epipaleolithic lifeways, the analysis of microlithic-based chipped stone technologies remains central to understanding the nature of various economies, technologies, and social interactions of EP hunter-gatherer groups. Acknowledging the relevance of, and long-standing reliance on, the analysis of chipped stone assemblages, in this paper we address the current state of research on Epipaleolithic chipped stone analysis through an assessment of current analytical approaches and their impact on interpreting Epipaleolithic lifeways. We focus here on the advantages of a broader technological analysis of EP assemblages at Kharaneh IV for the insights provided on learning, skill, and community in the past, as well as analytical rigor and comparison in the present.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Debitage Analysis: Case Studies, Successes, and Cautionary Tales   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37728.0