Question

a) Identify and give a brief explanation of two additional dating techniques used to cross-check chronometric techniques based on radioactive decay. b) Define a "core" in terms of stone tools. c) Give a brief description of the Oldowan stone tool industry. d) What is the difference between primary and secondary context? e) How did Binford arrive at this alternative hypothesis? f) What is the term used for a method of removing flakes from a core by pressing a pointed implement against stone?

Answer 1

a) Radioactive decay can be cross checked using Carbon Dating and Potassium-Argon Dating. Both the techniques use the decay of the elements to determine the life of an artifact. Elements decay at a certain time period and start turning into their isotopes. In the mentioned techniques they study the elements and determine the stage of their aging do ad to determine how old an artifact is. The half life of an element is when the element starts decaying. The half life of carbon is 5,730 ± 40 years. The half life of Potassium on the other hand is 1250 million years.

b) In terms of stone tools core are the lump of stones which are created by hammering away flakes or hitting stones to shape them into desired tools. The stone of core ranged from obsidian, basalt, chert to chalcedony. Cores are made by reduction method or flaking.

c)The Oldowan is one of the oldest-known stone tool industry. The tools are as old as 2.5 million years. These proto historic tools were produced by Homo habilis, who were ancestors of present day homo sapiens. Oldowan tools were first discovered at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. They have later been discovered only in the African Continent. These tools are mainly what can be classified as "choppers." These are stone cores with flakes removed from the surface, creating a sharpened edge that was used for cutting, chopping, and scraping. They were mainly cores of quartz, quartzite or basalt. The distinguishing flaking can be seen in those typical choppers.

d) Primary context : The context of an artifact, feature, or site that has not been disturbed since its original deposition.

Secondary context : The context of an artifact that has been wholly or partially altered by transformation/site formation processes after its original deposit, as in disturbance by human activity after the artifacts’ original deposition.