Replication of bifaces of the Acheulean techno-complex through trial and error experiments

Abstract

With the realization of the evolution of technology with time, the past was partitioned into ages of Stone, Bronze, and Iron. Further, the Stone Age was divided into two – Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) and New Stone age (Neolithic) with a middle partition being added later (Mesolithic). Each age was demarcated according to the shifts in the artefact type and the methods used for their production. My experiment deals with observing the effects of novice knapping on handaxe production from the limestone slabs acquired from the Hunsgi – Baichbal Valley, Karnataka. The aim of the experiment is to track the improvement in the shape and size of the handaxes produced, change in lithic material generated each iteration and change in knapping strategies used by the knapper over the course of 45 days of the experiment; with daily observations as well as through metric analyses of the handaxes and lithic material. It needs to be highlighted here that the experiments described in this thesis were preliminary. Therefore, no specific statistical correlations were attempted between different variables described in the study. At this initial stage, the priority of intention was to examine the changes in learning and skill acquisition at a qualitative perspective, followed by a quantitative perspective. In addition, because certain skills were more enhanced compared to others (e.g. blank extraction vs. biface thinning), making quantitative comparisons between certain variables will not be highly informative. It will also be fruitful to compare the experimental results with the archaeological data available, to identify similarities in knapping patterns and resulting typologies. It is also necessary to carry out such experiments on other raw materials to see if raw material quality affects learning speed and skill acquisition.