The need for a taphonomic perspective in stone artefact analysis

Abstract

Introduction: .....This paper argues that in order to derive information about the past from the archaeological record it is necessary to have a taphonomic perspective on morphological characteristics of stone artefacts. The framework of taphonomy is discussed and it is claimed that the taphonomic processes which act upon bone can equally modify stone, and that the main objectives of taphonomic studies in palaeontology can be achieved in the study of prehistoric artefacts. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate the mutability of stone artefacts. In the Hunter River Valley artefacts are often fragmented, and site descriptions which do not involve a taphonomic component may overestimate the number of prehistoric artefacts and underestimate their size. In northwest Queensland the study of the effect of physical and chemical attrition on stone artefacts provides information about the prehistoric use of fires, the amount of walking which occurred at various prehistoric periods, the extent of vertical movement within the deposit, and the accuracy of artefact recognition. These case studies demonstrate that only with a taphonomic perspective is it possible to accurately reconstruct the original composition of an assemblage or to elicit information about human and non-human site formation processes.