Case study: paradigms in lithic analysis
6 important questions on Case study: paradigms in lithic analysis
What are the 3 mainstream approaches to biface variability? (handaxes)
- Cultural design
- Resharpening
- Raw material constraints
Raw material constraints
What is a 4th view on handaxes?
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What is the cultural transmission hypothesis?
- Handaxes show variability (within sites and between sites)
- Similarities: as result of shared social learning
- Similarities: as a result of the limitations imposed (opgelegd) by the mechanics of handaxe production
- Track environmental variation due to their role as a hand-held tools
- Produced in social context (i.e., makers grew up exposed to handaxe manufacture)
- Appearance in different times and places due to behavioural choices and population dynamics
What is the Baldwinian revolution?
- Acquired traits becoming genetically specified and thus (partly) automatized
- The evolutionary trade-off between costs and benefits provides the selection pressure (an agent of differential mortality or fertility that tends to make a population change genetically) for this process
Baldwinian solution or cultural solution more handy?
- Baldwinian solution: is attractive as long as it’s a survival solution which has costs and benefits -> takes a long time to master
- Learn solution/cultural solution: is much more handy in certain circumstances because it’s a quick solution
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