Morphological and reduction continuums in Eastern Australia: measurement and implications at capertee 3

Abstract

At one of the classic Australian sites we document how retouched flakes (often called ‘scrapers’) display a morphological continuum, and that this continuum is largely explained as a reflection of different levels of reduction. The measurement and interpretation of retouching patterns, and their explanation in terms of the extent of reduction, is discussed. We argue that the demonstration of continuous variation at Capertee 3 has implications for artefact analysis elsewhere in Australia. Researchers should no longer assume that a segmented model appropriately describes the fundamental pattern of morphological variation in Australian assemblages. Consequently, Australian archaeologists aiming to identify and explain the nature of artefact variation should not continue to use conventional typological classification as though this was necessarily the appropriate, or even the only, analytical practice. Instead they should be aware that a fundamental question about assemblage composition and artefact variation is whether in any particular region or assemblage morphological variation takes the form of a segmented or continuous pattern. Show more