Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia

Use-wear, microwear, or traceological analysis is a method for the identification of prehistoric tool use and associated activities. While this method can be applied to any lithic and some non-lithic materials, use-wear analysis plays, in particular, an important role in understanding amorphous flak...

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Main Authors: Fuentes, Riczar, Pawlik, Alfred
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Published: Archīum Ateneo 2023
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Online Access:https://archium.ateneo.edu/sa-faculty-pubs/125
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100413
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spelling ph-ateneo-arc.sa-faculty-pubs-11242022-11-29T01:36:11Z Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia Fuentes, Riczar Pawlik, Alfred Use-wear, microwear, or traceological analysis is a method for the identification of prehistoric tool use and associated activities. While this method can be applied to any lithic and some non-lithic materials, use-wear analysis plays, in particular, an important role in understanding amorphous flake tools from Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) during the Late Pleistocene. The absence of formal tool types, including those that are considered as ‘projectiles’ or ‘hafted’ implements, may have hindered our views regarding the actual role these tools played in the development of cognition, behavioural capacity, and complex technologies in the region. Use-wear analysis of unretouched flakes, however, indicate that these were used in a variety of activities, beyond simple actions such as cutting or scraping. In this paper, we provide an overview of the beginnings and development of use-wear analysis in ISEA. Then, we discuss its role in addressing issues such as the bamboo hypothesis, the interpretation of the apparent absence of ‘complex’ lithic technologies from a functional point of view, and in the context of the chronological development of lithic technology. Technological and traceological studies in the region often highlight the presumed presence of a bamboo technology in the past. However, there seem to be limited recurring microscopic wear traces that would allow to verify the hypothetical presence of a ‘vegetal technology’ that would make up for the seemingly simple lithic technology in ISEA. An evaluation of the current state of the art and future directions of use-wear analysis attempts to provide context for the current understanding of prehistoric technology in ISEA. In general, this paper critically examines the development of use-wear analysis as a specialisation in archaeology that was established and developed in the region out of necessity. 2023-01-01T08:00:00Z text https://archium.ateneo.edu/sa-faculty-pubs/125 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100413 Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications Archīum Ateneo Island Southeast Asia Use-wear analysis Traceology Prehistoric technology Composite tools Behavioural modernity Anthropology Archaeological Anthropology Social and Behavioral Sciences
institution Ateneo De Manila University
building Ateneo De Manila University Library
continent Asia
country Philippines
Philippines
content_provider Ateneo De Manila University Library
collection archium.Ateneo Institutional Repository
topic Island Southeast Asia
Use-wear analysis
Traceology
Prehistoric technology
Composite tools
Behavioural modernity
Anthropology
Archaeological Anthropology
Social and Behavioral Sciences
spellingShingle Island Southeast Asia
Use-wear analysis
Traceology
Prehistoric technology
Composite tools
Behavioural modernity
Anthropology
Archaeological Anthropology
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Fuentes, Riczar
Pawlik, Alfred
Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
description Use-wear, microwear, or traceological analysis is a method for the identification of prehistoric tool use and associated activities. While this method can be applied to any lithic and some non-lithic materials, use-wear analysis plays, in particular, an important role in understanding amorphous flake tools from Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) during the Late Pleistocene. The absence of formal tool types, including those that are considered as ‘projectiles’ or ‘hafted’ implements, may have hindered our views regarding the actual role these tools played in the development of cognition, behavioural capacity, and complex technologies in the region. Use-wear analysis of unretouched flakes, however, indicate that these were used in a variety of activities, beyond simple actions such as cutting or scraping. In this paper, we provide an overview of the beginnings and development of use-wear analysis in ISEA. Then, we discuss its role in addressing issues such as the bamboo hypothesis, the interpretation of the apparent absence of ‘complex’ lithic technologies from a functional point of view, and in the context of the chronological development of lithic technology. Technological and traceological studies in the region often highlight the presumed presence of a bamboo technology in the past. However, there seem to be limited recurring microscopic wear traces that would allow to verify the hypothetical presence of a ‘vegetal technology’ that would make up for the seemingly simple lithic technology in ISEA. An evaluation of the current state of the art and future directions of use-wear analysis attempts to provide context for the current understanding of prehistoric technology in ISEA. In general, this paper critically examines the development of use-wear analysis as a specialisation in archaeology that was established and developed in the region out of necessity.
format text
author Fuentes, Riczar
Pawlik, Alfred
author_facet Fuentes, Riczar
Pawlik, Alfred
author_sort Fuentes, Riczar
title Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
title_short Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
title_full Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
title_fullStr Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
title_full_unstemmed Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
title_sort barely scratched the surface: development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in island southeast asia
publisher Archīum Ateneo
publishDate 2023
url https://archium.ateneo.edu/sa-faculty-pubs/125
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100413
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