Technological Shifts in the Middle Stone Age of South Africa

南非中石器时代的技术转变

• 批准号: 0613319
• 负责人: Paola Villa
• 金额: $ 8.12万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-06-01 至 2009-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0613319&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Technological; Shifts; Middle; Stone; Age

Between 80 to 35 ka the Middle Stone Age (MSA) record of South Africa reveals episodes of inventiveness and innovation, punctuated by apparent returns to more conventional technologies. Typically, the sequence of Still Bay to Howiesons Poort (HP) to post-Howiesons Poort industries shows evidence of technological shifts between macrolithic and quasi-microlithic assemblages that remain largely unexplained. Similar repeated technological shifts can be observed in Later Stone Age (LSA) assemblages. Thus the MSA sequence prefigures sensu lato the alternations in technological behavior seen in the LSA. Formal bone tools that appear early in the South African MSA are clear examples of a tendency to develop new functional ideas, techniques or devices, along with symbolic novelties like shell beads, engraved ochre and incised ostrich eggshells. Such inventiveness is widely viewed as symptomatic of advanced or modern behavior. LSA hunter-gatherers had a very flexible approach to lithic technology that responded to environmental changes. Were MSA hunter-gatherers behaving in similar ways? Why are technological shifts important? Since technological change is relatively slow through most of prehistory, sudden increases in rates of technological change are thought to signal the emergence of new cognitive abilities. These evolved to cope with adaptive problems, by modifying technological behavior, at times when demographic densities had increased, thus further aiding the spread of any successful technological innovations. These are major steps in human cultural evolution.With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Paola Villa and a small team of lithic specialists will carry out technological studies of assemblages in five Middle Stone Age sites in South Africa (Border Cave, Rose Cottage, Sibudu, Klasies River Mouth and Hollow Rock Shelter). Collaboration with Chris Henshilwood and Marie Soressi ensures access to data from the Still Bay phase of Blombos Cave. Previous NSF and Leakey Foundation grants have allowed the team to analyze some of the assemblages from those sites. However there are still many open questions concerning the pace of change and degree of continuity between the major MSA phases, the existence of regional and temporal variability within each major phase, the occurrence and significance of advanced behaviors such as craft specialization in the Still Bay phase and the inter-male exchange of hunting equipment in the Howiesons Poort phase. Detailed analyses of regional sequences are needed to understand if technological and paleoenvironmental changes coincide.The team brings together South African archaeologists and French technologists. Studies of lithic technologies, supported by experimental replication, are an important aspect of research in Western Europe but have rarely been carried out on the South African MSA. This project provides opportunity for close exchange and scientific interaction between researchers of different countries and with different but complementary skills. The project will also broaden the participation of students from South African Universities. The PI will participate in a lithic workshop, organized by the French Institute of South Africa and the University of with teaching lithic analysis methods, using MSA materials, by the P.I. Students and researchers from other South African universities will participate. The PI will teach lithic analysis to two doctoral students (both women) at the University of Witwatersrand and the African Heritage Research Institute. Witwatersrand. The workshop will combine demonstrations of experimental knapping by skilled flint knappers with teaching lithic analysis methods, using MSA materials, by the P.I Students and researchers from other South African universities will participate. The PI will teach lithic analysis to two doctoral students (both women) at the University of Witwatersrand and the African Heritage Research Institute.

在80至35年前的中石器时代（MSA）期间，南非的记录显示了创造力和创新的片段，其间穿插着对更传统技术的明显回归。通常，Still Bay到Howiesons Poort （HP）再到Howiesons Poort后的工业序列显示了宏观岩石和准微岩石组合之间的技术转变的证据，这在很大程度上仍未得到解释。在石器时代晚期（LSA）的组合中可以观察到类似的重复技术变化。因此，MSA序列预示着在LSA中所看到的技术行为的变化。在南非MSA早期出现的正式骨工具是发展新的功能理念、技术或设备的趋势的明显例子，以及象征性的新奇事物，如贝壳珠、雕刻赭石和切割鸵鸟蛋壳。这种创造性被广泛认为是先进或现代行为的表现。LSA的狩猎采集者有一种非常灵活的方法来应对环境变化的石器技术。MSA的狩猎采集者是否也有类似的行为方式？为什么技术变革如此重要？由于在史前的大部分时间里，技术变革是相对缓慢的，技术变革速度的突然增加被认为是新的认知能力出现的信号。在人口密度增加的时候，它们通过改变技术行为来应对适应性问题，从而进一步帮助任何成功的技术创新的传播。这些都是人类文化进化的重要步骤。在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，Paola Villa博士和一小群石器专家将对南非五个中石器时代遗址（Border Cave、Rose Cottage、Sibudu、Klasies River Mouth和Hollow Rock Shelter）的石器组合进行技术研究。与Chris Henshilwood和Marie Soressi的合作确保了对Blombos洞穴Still Bay阶段数据的访问。此前，美国国家科学基金会和利基基金会的资助已经允许该团队分析来自这些地点的一些组合。然而，关于主要MSA阶段之间的变化速度和连续性程度，每个主要阶段中区域和时间变异的存在，高级行为的发生和意义，如still Bay阶段的工艺专业化和Howiesons Poort阶段的男性间狩猎设备交换，仍然存在许多悬而未决的问题。为了了解技术变化和古环境变化是否一致，需要对区域序列进行详细的分析。这个团队汇集了南非考古学家和法国技术专家。由实验复制支持的岩屑技术研究是西欧研究的一个重要方面，但很少在南非MSA进行。该项目为不同国家、技能不同但互补的研究人员提供了密切交流和科学互动的机会。该项目还将扩大南非大学学生的参与。PI将参加由南非法国研究所和南非大学组织的岩屑分析研讨会，由PI教授使用MSA材料的岩屑分析方法。来自其他南非大学的学生和研究人员将参加。PI将向威特沃特斯兰德大学和非洲遗产研究所的两名博士生（都是女性）教授石器分析。威特沃特斯兰德。研讨会将结合由熟练的燧石敲击者进行的实验性敲击演示，以及由pi使用MSA材料进行的岩石分析方法教学。来自南非其他大学的学生和研究人员将参加。PI将向威特沃特斯兰德大学和非洲遗产研究所的两名博士生（都是女性）教授石器分析。