Making a U-turn on the Purfleet Interchange: Stone Tool Technology in Marine Isotope Stage 9 Britain and the Emergence of the Middle Palaeolithic in Europe
Name
s41982-024-00177-z.pdf
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4.28 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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Resource type
Journal article
Date published
December 2024
Abstract
This paper re-examines earlier Palaeolithic core technology from British sites assigned to MIS 11, 9, and 7 using primarily a chà¢ine opératoire approach, with the objective of better understanding the earliest occurrence and distribution of Levallois and other prepared-core technologies across the Old World. Contrary to previous interpretations (White and Ashton in : 598–609, 2003), we find no evidence for a true Levallois concept in MIS 11 or MIS 9 in Britain. Cores previously described as ‘simple prepared cores’ or ‘proto-Levallois’ cores show neither evidence of core management nor predetermination of the resulting flakes. They can instead be explained as the coincidental result of a simpler technological scheme aimed at exploiting the largest surface area of a core, thereby maximising the size of the flakes produced from it. This may be a more widespread practice, or a local solution derived from existing principles. Levallois appears fully formed in Britain during terminal MIS 8/initial MIS 7. Consequently, Britain does not provide evidence for an in situ evolution of Levallois, rather we argue it was introduced by new settlers after a glacial abandonment: the solution to the emergence and significance of Levallois lies in southern Europe, the Levant and Africa.
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Arts and Humanities Research Council | AH/W009951/1 |
Leverhulme Trust | RPG-2016-039 |
Calleva Foundation | PAB4 |
Journal title
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
Volume
7
Issue
13
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
eISSN
2520-8217
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