Co-evolution of the upper limbs of early hominids and the origins of stonecraft

• Authors: Katarzyna Piątkowska

Title variants

PL

Koewolucja kończyn górnych wczesnych hominidów i początków obróbki kamienia

• Languages of publication: EN PL

Abstracts

EN

This article discusses the subject of manipulative skills of early hominids in the context of stone toolmaking capabilities. A juxtaposition of morphological characteristics of fossilised bones with precise technological analyses, in particular studies on operational sequences (chaîne opératoire) and debitage reassembly, allows us to determine which movement sequences were necessary to make tools. Analyses of the upper extremities of hominini are based on the comparison with well-studied principles which govern the functioning of the upper limb of Homo sapiens. Detailing the biomechanics of lithic reduction (stone knapping) by Homo sapiens enabled us to establish the required sequence of movements. This was compared with technological analyses of Lower Paleolithic materials. Based on biomechanical and technological studies we arrived at a number of characteristics in the morphological structure of upper limbs which could make it easier to specify which species had been capable of making tools. The set of characteristics was compared with data from analyses of fossilised bones of early hominids

Keywords

EN

Lower Paleolithic; early hominids; technology; biomechanics; manipulative skills

• Publisher: Institute of Archaeology Rzeszów University, Fundacja Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego
• Journal: Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 9
• Pages: 11-77

Dates

issued

2014

Contributors

author

Katarzyna Piątkowska

• Institute of Archaeology, Rzeszów University, Moniuszki 10 st., 35-015 Rzeszów, Poland