Abstract
An exploratory multivariate analysis is presented of 64 Early Stone Age tool-assemblages from sub-Saharan Africa. The results generally confirm, but contribute significantly to understanding, the conventional division of these assemblages between Oldowan, Karari, Early Acheulian and Acheulian industrial groupings. The distinction between Oldowan and Developed Oldowan is shown to be less clearly defined.
Resumé
L'auteur présente une analyse tentative à plusieurs variables de 64 groupes d'outils de l'Age de la Pierre Ancien en Afrique méridionale. Les résultats confirment en général—mais aussi contribuent considérablement à comprendre—la division conventionnelle de ces ensembles entre les groupements industriels de l'Oldowayen, le Karari, l'Acheuléen ancien et l'Acheuléen. La différence entre l'Oldowayen et l'Oldowayen évolué se montre moins clairement définie.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamson, D. and Williams, M. A. J. 1986. A Pliocene reconstruction of Afar paleogeography. Paper read at the Conference in Honour of J. D. Clark, 12–16 April, 1986. University of California, Berkeley.
Aldenderfer, M. 1982. Methods of cluster validation for archaeology.World Archaeology 14:61–72.
Anderson, T. W. 1958.An Introduction to Multivariate Statistical Analysis. New York: Wiley.
Binford, L. 1972. Contemporary model building: paradigms and the current state of palaeolithic research. InModels in Archaeology (ed. D. L. Clarke): pp. 109–66. London: Methuen.
Binford, L. and S. Binford 1966. A preliminary analysis of functional variability in the Mousterian of Levallois facies.American Anthropologist 68, 2:238–95.
Bolviken, E., Helskog, E., Helskog, K., Holm-Olsen, I. M., Solheim, L. and Bertelsen, R. 1982. Correspondence analysis: an alternative to principal components.World Archaeology 14:41–60.
Bonnefille, R. 1986. Past savannah, forest bushland and hominid evolution. Paper read at the Conference in Honour of J. D. Clark, 12–16 April, 1986. University of California, Berkeley.
Brahimi, C. n.d. IXe campagne de fouilles à Melka Kunture, Ethiopie, site de Gombore II (acheuléen moyen): rapport de fouilles.
Clark, J. D. 1959. Further excavations at Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia.Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 89:201–32.
Clark, J. D. 1964. The influence of environment in inducing culture change at the Kalambo Falls prehistoric site.S. African Archaeological Bulletin 19:93–101.
Clark, J. D. and Kleindienst, M. R. 1974. The Stone Age cultural sequence: terminology typology and raw material.Kalambo Falls Prehistoric Site, 2 (ed. J. D. Clark): pp. 71–106. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Clark, J. D. and Kurashina, H. 1976. New Plio-Pleistocene archaeological occurrences from the plain of Gadeb, upper Webi Shebeli basin, Ethiopia and a statistical comparison of the Gadeb sites with other Early Stone Age assemblages. InLes Plus Anciennes Industries en Afrique. Nice: U.I.S.P.P.
Clark, J. D. and Kurashina, H. 1979a. Hominid occupation of the east-central highlands of Ethiopia in the Plio-Pleistocene.Nature 282:33–9.
Clark, J. D. and Kurashina, H. 1979b. An analysis of Earlier Stone Age bifaces from Gadeb (Locality 8E), northern Bale highlands, Ethiopia.S. African Archaeological Bulletin 34:93–109.
Cole, G. 1967. The later Acheulian and Sangoan of southern Uganda. InBackground to Evolution in Africa (eds. W. W. Bishop and J. D. Clark): pp. 481–528, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Cooley, W. W. and Lohnes, P. R. 1971.Multivariate Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: Wiley.
Daniels, S. H. 1967. Statistics, typology and cultural dynamics in the Transvaal Middle Stone Age.S. African Archaeological Bulletin 22:114–25.
Dixon, W. J. 1974.BMD. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Doran, J. E. and Hodson, F. R. 1975.Mathematics and Computers in Archaeology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Gnanadesikan, R. 1977.Methods for Statistical Data Analysis of Multivariate Observations. New York: Wiley.
Harman, H. H. 1960.Modern Factor Analysis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Harris, J. W. K. 1978.The Karari Industry and Its Place in East African Prehistory. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.
Harris, J. W. K. 1986. Archaeological evidence bearing on an understanding of adaptive behaviors of late Pliocene hominids. Paper read at the Conference in Honour of J. D. Clark, 12–16 April, 1986. University of California, Berkeley.
Harris,, J. W. K. and Isaac, G. Ll. 1976. The Karari Industry: early Pleistocene archaeological evidence from the terrain east of Lake Turkana, Kenya.Nature 262:102–7.
Isaac, G. Ll. 1967. The stratigraphy of the Peninj Group—early Middle Pleistocene formations west of Lake Natron, Tanzania. InBackground to Evolution in Africa (eds. W. W. Bishop and J. D. Clark): pp. 229–57. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Isaac, G. Ll. 1975. Stratigraphy and cultural patterns in East Africa during the middle ranges of Pleistocene time. InAfter the Australopithecines. (eds. K. W. Butzer and G. Ll. Isaac): pp. 495–542. The Hague: Mouton.
Isaac, G. Ll. 1977.Olorgesailie: archaeological studies of a Middle Pleistocene lake basin in Kenya. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Keller, C. M. 1973. Montagu Cave in Prehistory.University of California Anthropological Records 28:1–98.
Kleindienst, M. 1961. Variability within the late Acheulian assemblage in eastern Africa.S. African Archaeological Bulletin 16:35–52.
Kurashina, H. 1978.An Examination of Prehistoric Lithic Technology in East-Central Ethiopia. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.
Leakey, M., Tobias, P. V., Martyn, J. E. and Leakey, R. E. F. 1969. An Acheulian industry with prepared core technique and the discovery of a contemporary hominid mandible at Lake Baringo, Kenya.Proc. Prehistoric Society 36:48–76.
Leakey, M. D. 1970. Stone artefacts from Swartkrans.Nature 225:1222–5.
Leakey, M. D. 1971.Olduvai Gorge, 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Leakey, M. D. 1975. Cultural patterns in the Olduvai sequence. InAfter the Australopithecines (eds. K. W. Butzer and G. Ll. Isaac): pp. 477–93. The Hague: Mouton.
Morrison, D. F. 1976.Multivariate Statistical Methods. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Nunnaly, J. C. 1967.Psychometric Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rowlett, R. M. and Pollnac, R. 1971. Multivariate analysis of Marnian La Tène cultural groups. InMathematics in the Archaeological and Historical Sciences (ed. F. R. Hodsonet al.): pp. 46–58. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Watson, P. J., LeBlanc, S. A. and Redman, C. L. 1984.Archaeological Explanation: the scientific method in archaeology. New York: Columbia University Press.
White, J. P. and thomas, D. H. 1972. What mean these stones? Ethno-taxonomic models and archaeological interpretations in the New Guinea Highlands. InModels in Archaeology (ed. D. Clarke): pp. 275–308. London: Methuen.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kurashina, H. Comparison of Gadeb and other Early Stone Age assemblages from Africa south of the Sahara. Afr Archaeol Rev 5, 19–28 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01117079
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01117079