Lithic Remains Research Articles

Piecing together a new mosaic: Gravettian lithic resources and economic territories in the Western Pyrenees

To palliate the current scarcity of information about lithic raw materials in the Western Pyrenees during the Gravettian, the study of ten assemblages has explored the flint procurement patterns and economic organisation of the territory. The study was based on the macro- and microscopic analysis of the different lithic remains. A wide range of flint varieties were used, including some excellent rocks for knapping and others of poorer quality. This diversified catchment pattern was defined by the criteria of quality and suitability for reduction. Although procurement took place mostly at the primary outcrops, there is some evidence of limited acquisition in secondary deposits. Within the economic territory of the Western Pyrenees, divergences in the connections between the outcrops on one side of the mountains and the archaeological sites on the other may indicate different territorial or economic roles for each side. In general terms, the northern side may have been more residential with more stable habitation, while the southern side was linked with logistic tasks and more seasonal occupation. The economic connections between this territory and surrounding areas revealed by the lithic resources are the reflection of inter-group contacts and an economic mosaic imbricated with a cultural or symbolic one.

Fishtailed projectile points in the Americas: Remarks and hypotheses on the peopling of northern South America and beyond

In order to find out about and discuss the peopling of the Americas, there is evidence that comes from a range of scientific disciplines. In archaeology, stone tool vestiges are one of the main pieces of evidence used for assessing the knowledge and understanding of this topic. One of the most iconic lithic remains from the South American Paleoindian record is the so-called Fishtail, or just “Fell” projectile point, a distinctive artifact that stands out due to its wide distribution from southern Mexico to southernmost South America. Different hypotheses have been proposed regarding its origin, mainly related to Paleoindian points from North America. In order to discuss this issue, special attention has been paid among the existing varieties to a group distributed throughout eastern North America, mainly in states with a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico. This group stands out, because with their narrow or broader blades, their lower portions typically have deeply indented concave edges, forming flaring rounded or pointed ears with fluted and unfluted bases which are reminiscent of the Fishtail. By comparing them from a morphological and technological viewpoint, and because of the observed similarities between North and South American fishtailed points, the hypothesis in this paper proposes that South American Fell points are related to similar ones from eastern North America. A model of the possible route/s followed by the waves of colonizers who peopled northern South America and the lands beyond the equator in the southern hemisphere is also proposed.

Identifying new quarries as a method for expanding research: A GIS case study from the Mesa Verde region in the American Southwest

The study of stone-tool raw material acquisition to evaluate temporal changes in regional sociopolitical organization and economic-related behaviors in the American Southwest is relatively rare when compared to pottery studies for the same purpose. To promote and conduct more meaningful study of these activities using lithic remains, we contend that the location of additional local raw material quarries must be identified and documented. Because of known data gaps in regional quarry datasets, we develop a method to identify additional quarries in the central Mesa Verde region of the American Southwest using a multi-step GIS approach. Our exploratory analysis of new quarry sites uses community-center site locations coupled with a site suitability analysis (a Linear Scale Transformation of geological attributes) to identify future survey target areas. This method of identifying areas that are highly suitable for local raw materials seeks to both optimize our time in the field, while also providing us with additional data points to conduct more sophisticated GIS analyses. Our analysis has identified areas of western Papoose and Ruin Canyons that will serve as the target of future surveys, with the goal of ground truthing our model and discovering, and documenting, new local quarries.

On identifying Palaeolithic single occupation episodes: archaeostratigraphic and technological approaches to the Neanderthal lithic record of stratigraphic unit xa of El Salt (Alcoi, eastern Iberia)

Within the framework of archaeological palimpsest dissection, stratigraphic association of lithic remains with hearths and other archaeological materials in undisturbed Neanderthal contexts allows us to seek patterns in lithic and faunal assemblage composition, assess the degree of time averaging within assemblages and investigate the spatial distribution of archaeological remains. So far, the European Neanderthal record shows variability in such spatial parameters, not only among different geographic regions but also across time. This approach has been employed to draw conclusions about the main features of Neanderthal occupations from in situ archaeological contexts within individual site sequences. As contribution to this topic, we present new results from our ongoing archaeostratigraphic investigation of stratigraphic unit xa from El Salt (Alcoi, Alacant, eastern Iberia). Our previous study, based on stratigraphic analysis of the lithic record consisting of raw material units, yielded several micropalimpsests within unit xa. Here, we carry out further technological and spatial analysis of the micropalimpsest units. The results obtained from it suggest that we may be able, in specific cases, to recognise indicators of diachrony within the context of these archaeostratigraphic units. This confirms the existence of a micropalimpsest, and suggests that we have the chance to find analytical frames that are even closer to the human temporal scale than the AU. This should be the target of future interdisciplinary behavioural study of El Salt unit xa. This work illustrates the potential of a spatial and archaeostratigraphic approach to stone tool technology and brings to light the importance of archaeological palimpsest dissection as a first step for behavioural analysis in Palaeolithic research.

New data concerning Neanderthal occupation in the Iberian System: First results from the late Pleistocene (MIS 3) Aguilón P5 cave site (NE Iberia)

This work presents the first results from the Aguilón P5 (Zaragoza) cave site on the northern slope of the Iberian System (NE Iberia). The fieldwork carried out since 2010 on several archaeological layers containing remnants of human occupations has revealed lithic remains, processed faunal bones and charred plant remains from combustion events. Due to the lithic tool assemblage and radiocarbon dating (>50.0–41.9 kyr BP), the attribution of this human occupation to the Mousterian techno-complex is clear, contemporary with other important Late Mousterian sites in the Ebro Basin (NE Iberia) and Mediterranean region. Preliminary results concerning stratigraphic, chronometric, techno-tipological and palaeoenvironmental data from the last human occupations of the cave (archaeological layers “cnc”, “mcp” and “e”) are provided in this paper.To contextualize the Neanderthal occupation of the Aguilón P5 cave, a timeline of Middle Paleolithic in the Iberian System is proposed. A total of 45 dates from 19 stratigraphic units (including speleothems) are available from 10 sites. Chronometric dating series allow us to establish the temporary framework of Mousterian industries in the Iberian System coinciding with the abrupt climate changes related to Heinrich Events which characterize MIS 3. In summary, this paper provides new chronometric and archaeological information about Neanderthal settlement and subsistence in an under-investigated region.

LegioLit: Knappable material lithotheque in the Prehistory Laboratory at the University of León, Spain

This work introduces a comparative collection located in the Prehistory Laboratory at the University of León (Spain) specialised in knappable raw materials, mainly comprising radiolarite and black chert (micro-crypto crystalline quartz), from the western Cantabrian Mountains (north of Iberian Peninsula). A standardised protocol of sample collection and data organisation was developed, which includes the use of several methodologies. First, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for referencing lithic sources. Second, direct observation of the sample for the macroscopic characterization, both de visu and stereomicroscope. Third, petrographic microscopy for a description of main petrological, and palaeontological features, complemented with the identification of the different minerals that make up the samples by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Forth, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Thermogravimetry – Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC) for geochemical and thermal features of the samples. Finally, the results of these analyses were entered in a database. All this information is contributing towards the creation of a physical reference collection specialised in local Palaeozoic formations (mostly from Devonian to Carboniferous) that outcrop in the western Cantabrian Mountains, a region whose potential resource base was previously not very well known. This collection would allow to compare archaeological lithic remains from different sites inside and outside the Cantabrian Mountains.

FiReproxies: A computational model providing insight into heat-affected archaeological lithic assemblages

Evidence for fire use becomes increasingly sparse the further back in time one looks. This is especially true for Palaeolithic assemblages. Primary evidence of fire use in the form of hearth features tends to give way to clusters or sparse scatters of more durable heated stone fragments. In the absence of intact fireplaces, these thermally altered lithic remains have been used as a proxy for discerning relative degrees of fire use between archaeological layers and deposits. While previous experimental studies have demonstrated the physical effects of heat on stony artefacts, the mechanisms influencing the proportion of fire proxy evidence within archaeological layers remain understudied. This fundamental study is the first to apply a computer-based model (fiReproxies) in an attempt to simulate and quantify the complex interplay of factors that ultimately determine when and in what proportions lithic artefacts are heated by (anthropogenic) fires. As an illustrative example, we apply our model to two hypothetical archaeological layers that reflect glacial and interglacial conditions during the late Middle Palaeolithic within a generic simulated cave site to demonstrate how different environmental, behavioural and depositional factors like site surface area, sedimentation rate, occupation frequency, and fire size and intensity can, independently or together, significantly influence the visibility of archaeological fire signals.

The Keystone Dune Site: A Bølling-Allerød Hunting Camp in Eastern Beringia

ABSTRACTThe Keystone Dune site, in central Alaska, contains a well-preserved archaeological occupation that dates to 13,430–13,230 cal yr BP. Archaeological excavations resulted in the recovery of features, and materials include hearths, faunal and lithic specimens, macrobotanical remains, and ocher. These were analyzed and interpreted to reconstruct past activities conducted at the site. Keystone Dune was most likely used for a short time, in the context of a wapiti hunt, and can be placed within a larger economic and mobility system of eastern Beringian people during the Bølling-Allerød chronozone. By continuing to document the archaeological and paleoenvironmental records of the early Beringians, we contribute to a refinement of the models and ideas of human dispersal during the Pleistocene.

New archaeozoological and taphonomic analysis on macro- and megafauna remains from the lower palaeolithic site of ficoncella (tarquinia, central italy)

The site of Ficoncella is located to the north of Rome (Central Italy). It is an alluvial context where animal bones and lithic remains were buried over a short space of time in a floodplain environment during the Lower Palaeolithic. The main faunal evidence is represented by parts of a straight-tusked elephant carcass, but remains belonging to other ungulate species were also identified e.g. cervid and equid bones, as well as diaphysis fragments belonging to small and middle-sized ungulates. The use-wear analysis of lithic implements revealed traces related to action on materials of soft to medium hardness. These could be the result of carcass processing, although direct interaction between hominins and animals has not as yet been established. New taphonomic and zooarchaeological data are presented in this paper. Cervids and equid bones, as well as diaphysis fragments belonging to small and middle-sized ungulates, were identified. A shaft portion shows green bone fractures and an impact notch. Some bone flakes were identified among the fragments attributed to megafauna. The current results show that the site of Ficoncella was buried over a short space of time in a floodplain environment. This new analysis allows us to identify a broader range of Hominin activities at the site.

Geoarchaeological study of the Sidrón cave (Piloña, Asturias)

The sedimentary infill bearing the archaeological and anthropological record of the Ossuary Gallery (the Sidrón cave) shows high complexity in both sediment types and their spatial distribution in the cavity. The main factors that govern this complexity are the episodic and highly energetic nature of the recorded sedimentary infill units and the irregular geometry of the gallery itself, which significantly compartmentalized areas of deposition. Briefly, all types of typical allochthonous detrital material deposits in karst environments are represented in the Ossuary Gallery; from well-sorted fine-grained sediment facies representative of backswamp (clays of the unit O) or slackwater (Unit IV), to poorly-sorted coarse-grained deposits corresponding to mudflows and debris flows (Unit II and Unit III base), and typical channel facies composed of laminated sands and silts (units I and II). The bone and lithic remains are concentrated in unit III. The source area is above the Ossuary Gallery, at the intermediate or higher karst levels. The input of archeological material to the Ossuary Gallery was triggered in high energy episodes in association to flood events and / or storms.

Guayamba 2: abordando el espacio doméstico en los bosques orientales de Catamarca.

El siguiente trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar los primeros resultados obtenidos de las investigaciones realizadas en el sitio Guayamba 2, ubicado en la localidad homónima, en el departamento de El Alto, provincia de Catamarca. El asentamiento se compone de cuatro estructuras y se encuentra en el área de Bosque Serrano. Se relaciona con Casa Pintada, un alero con representaciones rupestres, localizado a unos 190 m en línea recta hacia el sur. Hasta el momento hemos realizado dos sondeos en dos estructuras y comenzado la excavación de una tercera. A partir de estos trabajos hemos recuperado: fragmentos cerámicos, restos líticos y algunos restos óseos faunísticos. El análisis del material recuperado indicaría que en el sitio se realizaron diversas prácticas domésticas (preparación y consumo de alimentos, elaboración de artefactos líticos, entre otras) consistentes con un sitio de habitación permanente.

Moving things: Comparing lithic and bone refits from a Middle Paleolithic site

The refitting of both lithic and faunal remains is a basic field of research in Paleolithic archeology. In particular, the spatial dimension of lithic and faunal refitting is essential for resolving questions related to site formation processes and the organization strategies of hunter-gatherer bands. Unfortunately, although important insights can be gained by comparing the spatial patterns of faunal and lithic refits there are relatively few sites from which both types are available. Some processes causing the movement of archeological items are common to both bone and lithic remains, but others are specific to each. The similarities and differences between the lithic and faunal connections can be particularly informative when considering the type and timing of the archeological assemblage formation dynamics. This comparison may be especially useful for disentangling the roles of natural and cultural processes in these formation dynamics. To illustrate this, we will compare the refitting patterns of lithic and faunal remains in level M from Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain), a Middle Paleolithic assemblage dated between 51 and 55kyrBP. The results of such a comparison provide new insights into various formation processes, including the intrasite movement of archeological items and the relationships between activity areas.

Yokomichi : Une collection du Paléolithique supérieur du Japon abordée selon un œil technologique français

Depuis les années 1970, l’étude des collections lithiques préhistoriques a vécu en France une profonde modernisation. André Leroi-Gourhan, d’abord intéressé par les techniques traditionnelles, prit pour objectif d’appréhender les activités techniques menées dans un site par un groupe préhistorique, dans une perspective ainsi dénommée « palethnologique ». Il a aussi promu la notion de chaîne opératoire introduite auparavant par Marcel Mauss. Mais ce sont les expérimentateurs de la taille des roches dures, F. Bordes et J. Tixier, qui vont permettre d’enrichir cette notion de ses applications concrètes. J. Tixier, surtout, stabilise la terminologie de la pierre taillée, et systématise la « lecture technologique » qui permet de reconstituer mentalement le déroulement du façonnage d’un outil ou du débitage d’un nucléus. Il introduit aussi une distinction fondamentale entre « méthode » (la démarche -l’agencement des enlèvements successifs- suivie pour atteindre le but de la chaîne opératoire : un type ou une classe de produits) et « technique(s) » (qui réfère aux modalités pratiques d’exécution des enlèvements).
 Sur cette base, dès 1980, Tixier et collègues introduisent les notions d’économie des matières premières, du débitage et de l’outillage, corollaires de la notion de règles de gestion. La notion d’intention -entre débitage, supports et (certains) outils- apparaît également, fondant le postulat selon lequel les modalités de la taille sont cohérentes avec la morphologie des produits recherchés. C’est ce postulat que suit la démarche française en technologie lithique : percevoir -comprendre- les intentions de la production lithique, avant de classer et de mesurer.
 Cette démarche est ensuite appliquée à la collection lithique de Yokomichi (Dept de Yamagata, NE de Honshu), à débitage laminaire mais antérieure à la production de lamelles, ainsi datable d’environ 18 000 BP. On perçoit d’abord qu’y coexistent deux débitages laminaires : l’un de lames légères et rectilignes à petit talon, tirées de nucléus étroits, et l’autre de fortes lames à talons épais débitées de nucléus plus larges. Parmi les outils retouchés, ce sont les quelques « couteaux de Sugikubo » (des pointes à dos élancées de profil rectiligne) dont les supports correspondent à l’intention première du débitage étroit, quelques autres outils étant réalisés sur des supports de second choix. Un tel couteau de Sugikubo, dans une collection similaire, présente une fracture à longue languette inverse qui suggère fortement qu’il s’agit en fait, au moins pour partie, de pointes de projectile. Le débitage large, lui, avait pour intention première l’obtention de grandes lames pointues, très difficiles à réaliser, tandis que ses nombreux produits de second choix et d’aménagement restent bruts (utilisables comme couteaux) ou se retrouvent dans les « burins de Kamiyama » (en fait, de très probables couteaux ravivés comme les couteaux de Kostienki).
 Une expérimentation montre que les deux débitages sont réalisés par percussion directe à la pierre tendre, mais selon des modalités distinctes : par percussion tangentielle pour les lames légères à petit talon, par percussion en retrait pour les lames plus fortes à gros talon.

Evidence of paleoecological changes and Mousterian occupations at the Galería de las Estatuas site, Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Iberian plateau, Spain

AbstractHere we present a new site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain): Galería de las Estatuas (GE), which provides new information about Mousterian occupations in the Iberian Plateau. The GE was an ancient entrance to the cave system, which is currently closed and sealed by a stalagmitic crust, below which a detritic sedimentary sequence of more than 2 m is found. This has been divided into five litostratigraphic units with a rich assemblage of faunal and lithic remains of clear Mousterian affinity. Radiocarbon dates provide minimum ages and suggest occupations older than 4514C ka BP. The palynological analysis detected a landscape change to increased tree coverage, which suggests that the sequence recorded a warming episode. The macromammal assemblage is composed of both ungulates (mainly red deer and equids) and carnivores. Taphonomic analysis reveals both anthropic, and to a lesser extent, carnivore activities. The GE was occupied by Neanderthals and also sporadically by carnivores. This new site broadens the information available regarding different human occupations at the Sierra de Atapuerca, which emphasizes the importance of this site-complex for understanding human evolution in Western Europe.

New dating evidence of the early presence of hominins in Southern Europe

The first “Out of Africa” migrations represent a seminal event in the history of humankind. At the gates of Europe, the first appearance of Hominins is recorded in Georgia, 1.8 million years ago (Ma); however, the picture of migration across the continent remains incomplete. Vallonnet Cave (France) is a Lower Paleolithic prehistoric site with traces of hominin activities including lithic remains and cut-marks on mammal bones. Here, we apply the uranium-lead (U-Pb) methods to two flowstones to date the intervening archaeological levels. The U-Pb data, coupled with paleomagnetic constraints, provide an age range from 1.2 to 1.1 Ma. The results conclusively demonstrate that Vallonnet Cave is one of the oldest European prehistoric sites in France with early hominin occupations associated with an Epivillafranchian fauna. Combined with data from other archaeological sites, the new precise chronology suggests a widespread occupation the Northern Mediterranean to Southwestern Europe at ~1.2 Ma.

Macrobioerosion and Microbioerosion in Marine Molluscan Shells from Holocene and Modern Beaches (39°–40°S, South of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina)

AbstractThe marine sediments of the area of Verde Peninsula – Jabali Island (39°28′S/62°19′W–40°28′S/62°11′W) Holocene in age (3–2 ky), and modern beaches contain a significant amount of bioeroded mollusc shells. Fifteen sites were analyzed, in which 20.11% of the mollusc shells (2168 valves) presented bioerosion traces, in 54 species (30 bivalves and 24 gastropods). Fourteen ichnogenera were reported: Entobia, Maeandropolydora, Iramena, Caulostrepsis, Pennatichnus, Pinaceocladichnus, Trypanites, and Gastrochaenolites (Domichnia), Gnathichnus and Radulichnus (Pascichnia), Finichnus and Centrichnus (Fixichnia), Oichnus (Praedicnia) (macrobioerosion), y Semidendrina (microbioerosion), the latter is first reported in mollusc shells in Argentina. Eleven ichnospecies were identified Finichnus peristroma, Maeandropolydora sulcans, Gnathichnus pentax, Pinaceocladichnus onubensis, Caulostrepsis taeniola, Centrichnus eccentricus, Radulichnus inopinatus, Oichnus simplex, Oichnus paraboloides, Oichnus gradatus, and Gastrochaenolites torpedo (lithic remains). The dominant ichnogenera in the Holocene deposits are Iramena, Entobia and Oichnus. The same ichnogenera are constant with different abundance in the modern beaches, and increasing representation of Pinaceocladichnus and Pennatichnus. The dominant ichnofacies in the Holocene deposits is Trypanites, revealing a benthonic marine community composed of cheilostome bryzoans, clionaid sponges, predator gastropods, regular echinoids, polychaete annelids, bivalves, thallophytas and fungi. Generally, the area was described as a sublittoral, low‐energy, stable environment with high rate of oxygenation, and sandy bottoms, with rocky bottoms at Villalonga locality.

SHKExtension: a new archaeological window in theSHKfluvial landscape of Middle BedII(Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)

In this paper, we present the results of new archaeological and geological research carried out inSHKExtension, a new site excavated within theSHKfluvial complex (BedII, Olduvai Gorge). The paper describes the stratigraphy of the site and its correlation with our excavation inSHKMain Site, showing that overbank archaeological accumulations in both areas are synchronous and form part of the same fluvial palaeo‐landscape. On the basis of the archaeo‐stratigraphical analysis performed, mainly geared towards defining high‐resolution chrono‐stratigraphical frameworks within the deposit, we report the results of a technological study of the lithic collection sorted by archaeo‐units, an assessment of the integrity of the main accumulation and an exhaustive lithic refitting programme. The archaeological sequence atSHKExtension, consisting of three archaeo‐units, preserves a high‐density patch of lithics and fossil bones (Level B2), on an overbank setting, isochronous with theSHKMain site. The high percentage of small lithic remains and bones, large number of fresh archaeological materials, and the identification of several refit sets support the integrity of the anthropogenic accumulation documented in Level B2. The main technological trait of the lithic assemblage from this level is the preservation of a qualitatively significant sample of large flakes andLCTs. The technological behaviours observed inSHKE, in the framework of theSHKcomplex, confirm that the complex web of inter‐assemblage variability during BedIItimes operated also in very close fractions of the same palaeo‐landscape. This reinforces the idea that subtle functional parameters must be taken into account in our current assessment of the Developed Oldowan/Acheulean interface.

Distinctive Unifacial Technology during the Early Holocene in Southern South America

The early Holocene archaeological record in Northwest Santa Cruz province in southern Argentina is remarkable in its richness. Among the lithic remains, most notable is a stemless triangular projectile point dating to ~8.5 - 10 uncalibrated kya. As part of a long term program directed to explore and understand diverse aspects of lithic technologies from Patagonia, this paper reports new observations on a set of notable unifacial tools existing in the assemblage accompanying them. Based on archaeological and experimental data we hypothesize they were produced from thick flake-blanks with one face totally or partially covered by flake scars sometimes reaching the longitudinal symmetry axis. This fact suggests that before being finished, it was reduced by detaching flakes from the edge to its center. This recent technological discovery allowed deepened on a new regional issue related with early Holocene unifacial tools that emerge as a peculiar style of covering unifacial flaking with subtle production differences to other similar implements. Together with the triangular points, this particular way of preforming the tool before and/or during the final shaping might be another distinctive manufacturing technique used by early Holocene hunter-gatherers in the area.

The chert workshop of Tozal de la Mesa (Alins del Monte, Huesca, Spain) and its exploitation in historical times

In 2012, during a field survey to locate primary outcrops of cherts in the Carrodilla Mountain Range (Huesca, Spain), abundant remains of chert-knapping were found next to nodular cherts in primary and sub-primary position from the Garumnian limestones. Chert knapping evidences were discovered in Tozal de la Mesa mount, near the town of Alins del Monte (Huesca, Spain), in the first prepyrenean foothills of the province of Huesca.In order to define the features of the workshop and to determine their limits, in 2015 we conducted a field survey. Due to these works, it has been possible to define the perimeter of the chert workshop as well as to collect abundant lithic remains of chert and other rocks (e.g., ophites) that may have been directly related to chert exploitation.In this paper we are going to present the results obtained after the textural, micropaleontological, petrographic and mineralogical characterization of these cherts as well as the results of the techno-typological and traceological analyses. Moreover, we will define the features of the chert workshop and its functionality.The first approach to contextualize the recovered materials of Tozal de la Mesa workshop area has allowed determining an exploitation of the Garumnian cherts that has lasted until the late nineteenth century according to some recovered products (e.g., pottery) and to oral sources.

Identifying handedness at knapping; an analysis of the scatter pattern of lithic remains

Determining hand laterality during human evolution is important in order to identify brain hemispheric lateralization for motor tasks and, indirectly, to gain information on the complex cognitive functions of the human brain. In this paper, we present a new method for inferring handedness from lithic evidence. The study is based on an analysis of the scatter patterns of lithic remains from stone-knapping episodes. An experimental programme was carried out by 14 knappers (eight right-handed and six left-handed), ranging from individuals that had never even struck two pebbles together to individuals who were quite familiar with prehistoric tools and had some degree of practice. The results of the experiment show that the material scatter patterns of right- and left-handed knappers at group level are different, but they do overlap at certain intervals. At the individual level, the probability of falsely ascribing left- and right-handedness has also been estimated. In addition, we have adapted this method to be applied to the archaeological record. In this case, only well-preserved knapping events with no post-depositional alterations can be used to assign left- or right-handed knappers, with the former being more reliably detected than the latter.