Application of 2D shape analysis to study Epigravettian lithic assemblages: assessing its analytical potential

Authors

  • Matteo Rossini University of Siena
  • Armando Falcucci Department of Geosciences, Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology Working Group, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3255-1005
  • Clarissa Dominici Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5787-7178
  • Annamaria Ronchitelli Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
  • Antonin Tomasso Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CEPAM
  • Francesco Boschin Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v12i4.1539

Keywords:

Lithic technology, Epigravettian, 2D Shape analysis, Geometric morphometrics, Upper Palaeolithic

Abstract

In this paper, we apply a two-dimensional (2D) Geometric morphometric analysis to a sample of Epigravettian lithic artefacts with the aim of assessing the potential of such an approach to study Epigravettian lithic assemblages. The lithic sample comes from layer 9c2 (Evolved Epigravettian, Upper Palaeolithic, about 18,000-19,000 years ago) of Grotta Paglicci (Apulia, southern Italy). After extracting the outline coordinates from high-resolution images using the software DiaOutline, we conduct Elliptic Fourier Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, and Linear Discriminant Analysis in the R package Momocs to investigate the internal variability of the sample. Shape analysis confirms that 1) the production of microbladelets was not linked to a dedicated reduction sequence and 2) the modification of blanks into backed points followed a rather standardised stone tool design. The result opens interesting perspectives for the routine implementation of 2D shape analyses complementary to the classical technological ones.

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Published

2023-11-24

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2023)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Matteo Rossini, Armando Falcucci, Clarissa Dominici, Annamaria Ronchitelli, Antonin Tomasso, Francesco Boschin

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