Projectile Technology / Edition 1

by Heidi Knecht, Donald O. Henry

Overview

Artifacts linked to projectile technologies traditionally have provided the foundations for time-space systematics and cultural-historic frameworks in archaeological research having to do with foragers. With the shift in archaeological research objectives to processual interpretations, projectile technolo­ gies continue to receive marked attention, but with an emphasis on the implications of variability in such areas as design, function, and material as they relate to the broader questions of human adaptation. The reason that this particular domain of foraging technology persists as an important focus of research, I think, comes in three parts. A projectile technology was a crucial part of most foragers' strategies for survival, it was functionally spe­ cific, and it generally was fabricated from durable materials likely to be detected archaeologically. Being fundamental to meat acquisition and the principal source of calo­ ries, projectile technologies were typically afforded greater time-investment, formal modification, and elaboration of attributes than others. Moreover, such technologies tend to display greater standardization because of constraints on size, morphology, and weight that are inherent to the delivery system. The elaboration of attributes and standardization of form gives projectile technologies time-and space-sensitivity that is greater than most other foraging technologies. And such sensitivity is immensely valuable in archaeological research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306457166
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	10/31/1997
Series:	Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology
Edition description:	1997
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

Table of Contents

I. Introduction.- 1 • The History and Development of Projectile Technology Research.- 2 • Factors Influencing the Use of Stone Projectile Tips: An Ethnographic Perspective.- II. Archaeological Perspectives.- 3 • Middle Paleolithic Spear Point Technology.- 4 • The Microwear and Morphology of Microliths from Gleann Mor.- 5 • Side-Notched and Unnotched Arrowpoints: Assessing Functional Differences.- 6 • Sinew-Reinforced and Composite Bows: Technology, Function, and Social Implications.- III. Experimental Perspectives.- 7 • Contributions of Multidisciplinary Experimentation to the Study of Upper Paleolithic Projectile Points.- 8 • Projectile Points of Bone, Antler, and Stone: Experimental Explorations of Manufacture and Use.- 9 • Hunting during the Upper Paleolithic: Bow, Spearthrower, or Both?.- 10 • Self-Barbed Antler Spearpoints and Evidence of Fishing in the Late Upper Paleolithic of Cantabrian Spain.- IV. Ethnoarchaeological Perspectives.- 11 • Technology and Variation in Arrow Design among the Agta of Northeastern Luzon.- 12 • Hunting and Multifunctional Use of Bows and Arrows: Ethnoarchaeology of Technological Organization among Pumé Hunters of Venezuela.- 13 • A Comparison of Kua (Botswana) and Hadza (Tanzania) Bow and Arrow Hunting.- 14 • Each According to Need and Fashion: Spear and Arrow Use among San Hunters of the Kalahari.- V. Conclusion.- 15 • Projectile Points: Form, Function, and Design.

Editorial Reviews

Born out of a symposium of the same title organized for the 59th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology held in Anaheim, California in April 1994, this volume contains 15 essays addressing issues ranging from the history and development of archaeological research into the subject to the technical, functional, and design implications of morphological and material variability and ethnoarchaeological investigations of projectile technology. Contributions stretch from the Middle Paleolithic to the ethnographic present and are global in scope. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews

‘A strength of the book is its wide range, ensured by having contributors from several traditions including American, French, and British...Both editor and contributors have done well...One has to be enthusiastic about the scholarly value of a book so packed with information and case studies.'
Nature (January 1998)
‘... I believe that this volume is not only a successful contribution, but also a useful gateway to the burgeoning literature on hunting systems and projectile technology. It will be of tremendous value for the lithic specialist and for the generalist dealing with the Archaic period. All the participants, along with Plenum Press, are to be congratulated for making such a worthy contribution to the literature.'
Illinois Archaeology, 11:1-2 (1999)
‘Projectile Technology is a fine piece of work.'
Lithic Technology, 26:1

From the Publisher