Lithic analysis in African archaeology: Advances and key themes

Deborah I. Olszewski; Amanuel Beyin; Justin Pargeter

doi:10.1111/arcm.13062

Lithic analysis in African archaeology: Advances and key themes

Deborah I. Olszewski, Amanuel Beyin, Justin Pargeter

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Stone artifacts (lithics) preserve for extended periods; thus they are key evidence for probing the evolution of human technological behaviors. Africa boasts the oldest record of stone artifacts, spanning 3.3 Ma, rare instances of ethnographic stone tool-making, and stone tool archives from diverse ecological settings, making it an anchor for research on the long-term temporal and spatial trends in human evolution. This paper reviews the application of scientific methods for studying African stone artifacts and highlights several popular research themes on the continent, including the origins of flaked stone technology, hunter-gatherer mobility and landscape use, technological variability, function, biocultural evolution, and ancient human cognition. We conclude by outlining some key challenges to future lithic research in Africa.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Archaeometry
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13062
State	Accepted/In press - 2025

Keywords

Africa
biocultural evolution
cognition
experiments
function
landscapes
lithics (stone artifacts)
mobility
technologies

ASJC Scopus subject areas

History
Archaeology

Access to Document

10.1111/arcm.13062

Cite this

@article{3fc5dff4cc914ad0b87768397c7fe45a,

title = "Lithic analysis in African archaeology: Advances and key themes",

abstract = "Stone artifacts (lithics) preserve for extended periods; thus they are key evidence for probing the evolution of human technological behaviors. Africa boasts the oldest record of stone artifacts, spanning 3.3 Ma, rare instances of ethnographic stone tool-making, and stone tool archives from diverse ecological settings, making it an anchor for research on the long-term temporal and spatial trends in human evolution. This paper reviews the application of scientific methods for studying African stone artifacts and highlights several popular research themes on the continent, including the origins of flaked stone technology, hunter-gatherer mobility and landscape use, technological variability, function, biocultural evolution, and ancient human cognition. We conclude by outlining some key challenges to future lithic research in Africa.",

keywords = "Africa, biocultural evolution, cognition, experiments, function, landscapes, lithics (stone artifacts), mobility, technologies",

author = "Olszewski, {Deborah I.} and Amanuel Beyin and Justin Pargeter",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Archaeometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of University of Oxford.",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1111/arcm.13062",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Archaeometry",

issn = "0003-813X",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Lithic analysis in African archaeology

T2 - Advances and key themes

AU - Olszewski, Deborah I.

AU - Beyin, Amanuel

AU - Pargeter, Justin

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Stone artifacts (lithics) preserve for extended periods; thus they are key evidence for probing the evolution of human technological behaviors. Africa boasts the oldest record of stone artifacts, spanning 3.3 Ma, rare instances of ethnographic stone tool-making, and stone tool archives from diverse ecological settings, making it an anchor for research on the long-term temporal and spatial trends in human evolution. This paper reviews the application of scientific methods for studying African stone artifacts and highlights several popular research themes on the continent, including the origins of flaked stone technology, hunter-gatherer mobility and landscape use, technological variability, function, biocultural evolution, and ancient human cognition. We conclude by outlining some key challenges to future lithic research in Africa.

AB - Stone artifacts (lithics) preserve for extended periods; thus they are key evidence for probing the evolution of human technological behaviors. Africa boasts the oldest record of stone artifacts, spanning 3.3 Ma, rare instances of ethnographic stone tool-making, and stone tool archives from diverse ecological settings, making it an anchor for research on the long-term temporal and spatial trends in human evolution. This paper reviews the application of scientific methods for studying African stone artifacts and highlights several popular research themes on the continent, including the origins of flaked stone technology, hunter-gatherer mobility and landscape use, technological variability, function, biocultural evolution, and ancient human cognition. We conclude by outlining some key challenges to future lithic research in Africa.

KW - Africa

KW - biocultural evolution

KW - cognition

KW - experiments

KW - function

KW - landscapes

KW - lithics (stone artifacts)

KW - mobility

KW - technologies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85214830682&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85214830682&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/arcm.13062

DO - 10.1111/arcm.13062

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85214830682

SN - 0003-813X

JO - Archaeometry

JF - Archaeometry

ER -

Lithic analysis in African archaeology: Advances and key themes

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this