Allometry and Resharpening in Experimental Folsom-Point Replicas: Analysis Using Inter-Landmark Distances

Abstract

If different parts of curated stone tools were resharpened to different degrees, then allometric patterns reside in tools’ variation. Allometry and the related reduction thesis have important typological and theoretical implications that warrant their study. To seek allometric pattern in Folsom replicas, this study uses conventional orthogonal dimensions but also the inter-landmark distances by which Buchanan (Journal of Archaeological Science, 33, 185–199, 2006), applying the Huxley-Jolicoeur approach, found allometry in archaeological Folsom points. Like Buchanan’s, it computes bivariate and multivariate allometric coefficients for several variable sets to test models of Folsom-point resharpening. In bivariate analysis, plan area as gross-size measure yields results consistent with the Huxley-Jolicoeur approach; gross-size measures mass, centroid size, and total length do not scale as expected. Multivariate results are robust to gross-size measure. Length variables are positively, width variables and thickness negatively, allometric. Using different variables, results corroborate the allometric variation found in earlier studies. Distributions derived from multifactorial synthesis of multivariate and other reduction measures demonstrate the value of this approach by linking stone-tool allometry to behavioral-ecology models of broad scope. Allometric analysis requires careful variable selection and rewards approaches that separately characterize those constituent parts of the whole objects that are points.