Prehistoric technologies

The Percussive Technology in Human Evolution Network involves a group of experts working in Plio-Pleistocene archaeology and primatology. The main objective of this network is to promote inter-assemblage comparisons by organizing hands-on workshops where network partners discuss on site, and before the actual lithics, the significance of similarities and differences between the archaeological and primatological assemblages.

Experimental replication of percussion processes (bone cracking, plant processing, etc) are being conducted to evaluate the role of different raw materials and the differential availability of food resources, and to compare the archaeological collections with the lithics objects made by wild chimpanzees.

Primate archaeology. Nature 460, 339-344 (16 July 2009) | doi:10.1038/nature08188