Article
Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia
Archaeological Research in Asia
(2022)
Abstract
Use-wear, microwear, or traceological analysis is a method for the identification of prehistoric tool use and associated activities. While this method can be applied to any lithic and some non-lithic materials, use-wear analysis plays, in particular, an important role in understanding amorphous flake tools from Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) during the Late Pleistocene. The absence of formal tool types, including those that are considered as ‘projectiles’ or ‘hafted’ implements, may have hindered our views regarding the actual role these tools played in the development of cognition, behavioural capacity, and complex technologies in the region. Use-wear analysis of unretouched flakes, however, indicate that these were used in a variety of activities, beyond simple actions such as cutting or scraping. In this paper, we provide an overview of the beginnings and development of use-wear analysis in ISEA.
Keywords
- Island Southeast Asia,
- Use-wear Analysis,
- Traceology,
- Prehistoric technology,
- Composite tools,
- Behavioural Modernity
Disciplines
Publication Date
Winter November 16, 2022
DOI
10.1016/j.ara.2022.100413
Citation Information
Alfred Pawlik and Riczar B Fuentes. "Barely scratched the surface: Development and future directions of lithic use-wear analysis in Island Southeast Asia" Archaeological Research in Asia Vol. 33 (2022) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alfred-pawlik/23/