The use of three dimensional modelling techniques with reference to the study of archaeological material is one that is gaining popularity in hominid studies and is already being extensively used globally. This research delves deep into the Acheulean period and takes a refreshed look at the symmetry of handaxes from two sites, namely Rietputs 15 (1.4 ma) which is an early Acheulean site, and the Cave of Hearths, which is estimated to ca 450/500 000 years old and forms the later Acheulean aspect of this sample. This research focuses on creating effective methods for studying symmetry in relation to various variables specific to each site, and it aims to gather data using 3D methods that more traditional 2D techniques struggle to capture. Ultimately this data provided me with a quantified measure of symmetry for handaxes from the two sites. For the Cave of Hearths, statistical evaluation of the measures of left versus right volumes showed strong, statistically significant correlations (r = 0.870, p < 0.05), as did measures of left versus right surface areas (r = 0.960, p < 0.05). Rietputs provided comparable results of: r = 0.859, p <0.05 for volume, and r = 0.954, p <0.05 for area, thus suggesting that good symmetry exists. By using sectoral analysis, this study shows that the tip is the most variable sector of the tools for both sites. This result supports the assumption that handaxes were designed for varied functions (e.g., cutting, skinning, digging roots, or working wood) but ones which required a strong distal end. The medial and proximal sectors are both relatively less variable, and their properties may have been more constrained by the convergent shape of the tool. Values for the later Acheulean sample show only slightly less variability than for the early Acheulean, but this is nevertheless an interesting trend which relates to hominid and cultural evolution over ca 1 million years of time.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/11896 |
| Date | 05 September 2012 |
| Creators | Couzens, Raymond Alexander |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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