When do similarities in flake attributes reflect common cultural ancestry? Jonathan Paige, Charles Perreault Question two: Are attributes with smaller morphospaces more prone to convergence? Convergence is a potential problem in tracing cultural interactions in the Pleistocene Morphospace Archaeologists use similarities in flake attributes to infer cultural interaction, and migration (Tostevin 2012). However, flake similarities could be due to causes other than cultural interaction, or common cultural ancestry. How many possible forms a flake may take, or its morphospace (Mc. Ghee 2006), is constrained by the physics of fracture mechanics (Magnani et al. 2014, Moore 2011). Possible forms Impossible forms Restricted morphospaces should be more prone to convergence: similar forms being made by chance by two groups without a cultural connection. Attribute A § Wider space § Large coefficient of variation § Greater potential for variation Methods § Gathered flake data from two groups: Ingroups: Hohokam assemblages dating between 1100 -1300 A. D. recovered from Tonto Basin, Central Arizona. (N =620 flakes). Outgroups: 13 experimental assemblages, and 5 old world Pleistocene assemblages (N=3, 485 flakes). Attribute B § Restricted space § Small coefficient of variation § Convergence is likely § Compared (KS-test) external platform angle (E), platform thickness (P) and length/width ratio (L) distributions between assemblages (315 comparisons). Question one: Do flake attributes differ in morphospace size? Platform Thickness Length: ratio Width External platform angle § Similarities between Hohokam and outgroups counted as cases of convergence. Methods § Collected summary data on flakes (N=42, 502) from 15 experimental and 51 archaeological assemblages. § Similarities within Hohokam, and differences between Hohokam and outgroup counted as successes. § Assemblages span MP-UP Eurasia, Lomekwian-MSA Africa, late Holocene North America. Results § Convergence more likely for external platform angle than other attributes § Collected mean external platform angle (E), platform depth (P), and length: width ratios (L). § Success in both identifying similarities among Hohokam, and differences between Hohokam and outgroup ranges between ~50% and ~70%. § Calculated coefficient of variation (CV) in each attribute as a proxy for relative size of morphospaces. Results § Attributes vary in size of morphospace (CV) § External platform angle (E) has the smallest CV, the most restricted morphospace, and should be most prone to convergence. Discussion Attributes that have limited morphospaces should be more prone to convergence than other attributes. Outlining the morphospace for lithic technology is one way of exploring which attributes may be more or less useful for cultural reconstructions. Future studies will assess the scales at which different attributes retain cultural information. Bader, G. , Will, M. , Conrad, N. (2015). "The lithic technology of Holley Shelter, Kwa. Zulu-Natal, and its place within the MSA of southern Africa. " The South African Archaeological Bulletin, 149 -165. Cameron, J. (1985) Gran Quivira Limestone Lithic Database (t. DAR id: 399215) Harmand, S. , Lewis, J. E. , Feibel, et al. (2015). 3. 3 -million-year-old stone tools from Lomekwi 3, West Turkana, Kenya. Nature, 521(7552), 310 -315. Hunstiger, M. (2016). Three Dimensional Aggregate Flake Scar Analysis and Hominin Behavior at Tabun Cave, Israel. Dissertation. Klassen, S. , Harkness, R. (2015) EMAP Obsidian Flake Database (t. DAR id: 394605) Magnani, M, . Rezek, Z. , Lin, S. , et al. (2014). Flake variation in relation to the application of force. Journal of Archaeological Science. Mc. Ghee, G. (2008). The Geometry of Evolution: Adaptive Landscapes and Theoretical Morphospaces. Cambridge University Press. Moore, M. W. , & Perston, Y. (2016). Experimental Insights into the Cognitive Significance of Early Stone Tools. Plo. S one, 11(7), e 0158803. Moore, M. (2011). The design space of stone flaking: implications for cognitive evolution. World Archaeology. (43)4, 702 -715 Munday, F. (1977). Nahal Aqev (D 35): a stratified, open-air Mousterian occupation in the Avdat/Aqev area. " Prehistory and paleoenvironments in the central Negev, Israel. Vol. 2. de la Peña, P. (2015). Refining Our Understanding of Howiesons Poort Lithic Technology: The Evidence from Grey Rocky Layer in Sibudu Cave (Kwa. Zulu-Natal, South Africa). Plo. S one, 10(12), Acknowledgements: Thanks to the researchers who published data used in this study, Derek Miltimore for the flake photo, Dr. Arleyn Simon, The Center for Archaeology and Society, and The Roosevelt Platform Mound Study for their help and access to the Tonto Basin assemblage. Presnyakova, D. , Archer, W. , Braun, D. R. , Flear, W. (2015). Documenting differences between early stone age flake production systems: An experimental model and archaeological verification. Plos one Tostevin, G. B. (2012). Seeing lithics. A Middle Range Theory for Testing for Cultural Transmission in the Pleistocene. American School of Prehistoric Research Monograph Series, Harvard.
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