LITHIC ANALYSIS AS A COGNITIVE SCIENCE: A FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Research into the cognitive foundations of lithic technology has been increasingly prolific and productive over the last 30 years. However, Evolutionary Cognitive Archaeology (ECA) lacks an explicit theoretical framework. In this paper, I selectively review past work and propose a theoretical framework to open discussion amongst researchers. First, I distinguish between the two components of cognition: knowledge and the intelligent systems that make that knowledge possible. The chaîne opératoire approach provides a powerful method for describing and analyzing technical knowledge. Thomas Wynn's (1993) three-layer model of tool behavior provides a useful heuristic for organizing research into the underlying neurocognitive processes that make technical knowledge possible. Contemporary work by Wynn, Gowlett, Bril, Moore, Stout, and Uomini are placed within this framework. Notable findings are reviewed to describe the current state of knowledge in ECA. Without an adequate theoretical framework, ECA will continue to produce intriguing results without relating them to each other. It will also lack a medium within which to pose and resolve theoretical and empirical debates.