Technological innovation first becomes apparent in the archaeological record in the Upper Paleolithic. This can be seen in the remains of bone and antler projectile points. This project will focus on processes of technological change by studying functional continuities and developments in projectile points during the early Upper Paleolithic in Belgium, Germany, France, and Spain. Specifically the student will look at manufacturing strategies, morphology, and patterns of wear on tools. While the cultural and biological changes surrounding the Middle/Upper Paleolithic transition have recently been the focus of extensive archaeological inquiry, to date anthropologists have devoted little attention to patterns, structures, and processes of early technological innovation and invention. This study will go beyond traditional uses of bone and antler projectile points as chronological markers and will enable scholars to discuss the role of technological styles during the Upper Paleolithic. This research involves new methods of investigation and will result in new information on early Upper Paleolithic technology. In addition, the use of the concept of innovation to explain the technological changes connected with early Homo sapiens sapiens will shed new light on the emergence of modern human beings.
