1
|
Martellotta EF, Perston YL, Craft P, Wilkins J, Langley MC. Beyond the main function: An experimental study of the use of hardwood boomerangs in retouching activities. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273118. [PMID: 35972969 PMCID: PMC9380927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Retouched lithic tools result from the functional modification of their edges following knapping operations. The study of the later stages of the reduction sequence is fundamental to understanding the techno-functional features of any toolkit. In Australia, a gap exists in the study of the chaîne opératoire of lithic tools shaped or re-shaped through percussion retouching. In our previous works (Martellotta EF., 2021, Martellotta EF., 2022), we have presented evidence for the use of hardwood boomerangs for retouching purposes in Australian Aboriginal communities. Through a detailed experimental protocol, the present study demonstrates how boomerangs can function as retouchers. We found that the use-wear generated on the boomerang’s surface during retouch activity is comparable to retouch-induced impact traces observed on Palaeolithic bone retouchers, as well as to experimental bone retouchers generated in our replication experiments. Finally, we explore the role that microscopic lithic chips embedded in the retouchers’ surface play in the formation process of retouching marks. Our results address the need for a deeper investigation of percussion retouching techniques in Australian contexts, opening the possibility that uncommon objects—such as boomerangs—could be used for this task. This concept also highlights the broader topic of the highly diverse multipurpose application of many Indigenous tools throughout Australia. At the same time, the study reveals a deep functional connection between osseous and wooden objects—a topic rarely investigated in archaeological contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Francesca Martellotta
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Yinika L. Perston
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Griffith Centre for Social Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul Craft
- Birrunburra/Bundjalung/Yugambeh/Yuggera & Turrbal Aboriginal Nations
- Burragun Aboriginal Cultural Services, Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jayne Wilkins
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michelle C. Langley
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|