Dissertation Research: Technological Variability in the Portuguese Magdalenian

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Under the direction of Dr. Anthony Marks, Mr. Nuno Bicho, a graduate student at Southern Methodist University, will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will study a series of lithic assemblages from the Estremadura region of Portugal and which date from 16,500 to 8,500 BP (before present). These materials have been excavated from a number of sites all located in the Rio Maior river valley. While all materials fall within a single archaeologically-defined "cultural tradition" they show a significant amount of variation among individual assemblages and Mr. Bicho wishes to understand the reason for this. A number of potential explanations have been put forward. These range from the possibility that different cultural groups are responsible to the hypothesis that variation is based on task specific factors. To resolve this issue Mr. Bicho will conduct detailed analyses of lithic artifacts. He will distinguish between the form of the artifact and the technique by which it was produced. He (reasonably) assumes that form will reflect task specificity while production technique relates more closely to cultural affiliation. The Magdalenian peoples were among the first in Europe to develop specialized subsistence technologies. They produced magnificent works of art such as the paintings in Lascaux. While they have been relatively well studied in Southwestern France and Northern Spain, their geographical range extends well beyond this area. Mr. Bicho's work will contribute to a broader understanding of the Magdalenians and how they adapted to the rapidly changing environmental conditions at the end of the last Ice Age. In particular, it should provide insight into their social organization. This research also examines basic issues in lithic studies and will help to develop an analytic approach which will be useful in many archaeological situations. Because the prehistory of Portugal is not well known, this work will be of interest to a large number of archaeologists. It will also contribute to the education of an extremely promising young scientist.