Examining time trends in the Oldowan technology at Beds I and II, Olduvai Gorge

Citation: Y. Kimura (2002) Examining time trends in the Oldowan technology at Beds I and II, Olduvai Gorge. Journal of Human Evolution 43: 2921-321. (RSS)
Internet Archive Scholar (search for fulltext): Examining time trends in the Oldowan technology at Beds I and II, Olduvai Gorge
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Tagged: Anthropology (RSS) Oldowan (RSS), Acheulian (RSS), Olduvai Gorge (RSS), Koobi Fora (RSS), pre-Oldowan (RSS), Homo ergaster (RSS), Developed Oldowan A (RSS), Developed Oldowan B (RSS), raw material (RSS), stone (RSS), artifact (RSS)

Summary

What can a reexamination of Oldowan and Acheulian technologies in Beds I and II at Olduvai Gorge tell us about trends through time? How do these trends fit into trends in the surrounding area? How can these trends be applied to models of possible changes experienced by Homo ergaster? In this review, nine sites at Olduvai Gorge from Bed I and II will be examined. Some sites in the surrounding area of Koobi Fora and “pre-Oldowan” sites were also mentioned.

Bed I Oldowan
1.87 to 1.75 m.y.a.
sites: DK and FLK Zinjanthropus

Bed II DOA (Developed Oldowan A)
1.65 to 1.53 m.y.a.
sites: HWK East levels 3 and 4, FLK North sandy conglomerate, MNK chert factory site

Bed II DOB (Developed Oldowan B) and Acheulian
1.53 to 1.2 m.y.a.
Acheulian site: EFHR
DOB sites: FC West and TK Upper Floor

Koobi Fora
1.88 to 0.7 m.y.a.
KBS and Karari Industries

Kimura focused on the trends between Bed I and II at Olduvai Gorge. The variables she chose were raw materials and artifact composition, size of flakes, shape of flakes, weight of cores, the number of scars on an artifact, the flake recovery rate, the type of flake, the occurrence of a bifacial edge, the prevalence of hinged flakes, and the prevalence of battered artifacts.

The raw materials consisted of lava (1,989), quartz (9534), and chert (2,329). The artifact composition was comprised of cores, flakes, and utilized materials.

The raw material was obtained from the nearest available source. Chert was only available from 1.65 to 1.53 m.y.a. DOA assemblages were quite different than the other assemblages. Retouched flakes only occurred at a high rate during DOA, which is attributable to chert use. The flake size was shown to increase with time. Side-struck flakes occurred more at the Acheulian site of EFHR. The core weight was shown to relate to raw materials with a trend toward increasing core weight. This, along with the number of scars, indicated an increased ability through time to handle larger raw materials after 1.5 m.y.a. There appeared to be increased transport during the DOA. The flake recovery rate indicates core transport and differing stages of reduction at different sites for chert. The flake type showed a chronological trend in the composition of lava flakes. The bifacial edge presence and length increase after 1.5 m.y.a. Hinged terminations occur more with chert. Signs of battering on artifacts increases through time.

A significant change took place between Bed I and II at around 1.5 m.y.a. Flake size increased, bifacial edges were present more and their length increased, and signs of battering on artifacts increased. The implications of these changes are that hominids became better tool makers, used tools more, and apparently transported tools more.

At Koobi Fora lava is the dominant material. There is a prevalence of core scrapers and other differences between here and the Olduvai Gorge Bed I and II. Larger flakes also appear here at around 1.5 m.y.a.

Theoretical and Practical Relevance

Raw material appears to play a huge factor in many of the variables analyzed. Perceived technological changes in many instances are shown to have a strong correlation with the raw material used. This is most apparent during the DOA when chert was available. Previous explanations may need to be reconsidered in light of this observation. Overall, the variables indicate a change taking place at about 1.5 m.y.a. at Olduvai Gorge. The implications are that hominids of this time were better tool makers, used tools more, and appeared to transport tools more after this pivotal point in time. The Acheulian industry also appears to share many characteristics with the contemporaneous DOB. Koobi Fora also indicates both regional variation and region wide trends.

The observations observed through the analysis of the selected variables provide valid and significant insights. The extrapolation of these insights to earlier tool production starting at 2.5 m.y.a., however, seems unfounded. While there is evidence that the Oldowan technology remained static over a long period of time, it seems that the evidence presented by the author is not sufficient to support his speculations regarding Homo ergaster prior to the time period of the sites examined in this paper. An extensive review of the 2.5 m.y.a. and 2.3 m.y.a. sites mentioned would have provided more relevant support for the author’s position.