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An Assessment and Archaeological Application of Cortex Measurement in Lithic Assemblages

2008; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 73; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0002731600046849

2325-5064

Matthew Douglass, Simon Holdaway, Patricia Fanning, Justin Shiner,

Archaeology and Rock Art Studies

We describe an experimental test and archaeological application of the solid geometry method for the interpretation of cortical surface area in lithic assemblages proposed by Dibble et al. (2005). Experimental results support the method's accuracy while archaeological application to assemblages from western New South Wales, Australia suggests a repeated pattern of the selective removal of artifacts away from their location of manufacture. These findings shed light on the role curation and mobility play in the use and eventual discard of those artifact classes for which conventional measures of curation are not applicable. The results raise new questions about Aboriginal technological organization and land use, while simultaneously highlighting the complex relationship between past human behavior and archaeological assemblage content.