Showing papers on "Oldowan published in 1985"
TL;DR: Early Stone Age assemblages called "Oldowan" and early "Developed Oldowan" are discussed, based on the results of a long-term study of Plio-Pleistocene sites at Koobi Fora, Kenya and an extensive experimental research program of replicating and using early stone artifact forms.
407 citations
TL;DR: A study of the distribution and technology of these pieces was undertaken in this paper in an attempt to explain the anomaly of their absence from assemblages in the Koobi Fora region east of Lake Turkana.
Abstract: Spheroids and battered stones form an integral part of the Acheulean and coeval Developed Oldowan at most African Early Stone Age sites. This was recognized early in the development of prehistoric research on the continent. Their absence from assemblages in the Koobi Fora region east of Lake Turkana is therefore unexpected. A study of the distribution and technology of these pieces was undertaken in an attempt to explain this anomaly. Flaked core artefacts from seven Early Stone Age sites were examined. It was discovered that in the class of pounded and battered artefacts, the raw material selected influenced the final form to a great extent. While there is no real standardization of size, the shape of pieces is constant, regardless of raw material, location or age of the site. Most flaked spheroids represent the extreme end of a range of core tools running from angular to smooth. Their shape is produced by a combination of manufacture and/or use. In addition, natural spherical stones produced by...
42 citations