The origin of Human complex Behaviour is one of main debated topics within the global archaeological community. In North Africa, criteria defining this behaviour appeared with the Aterian culture during the second part of the Middle Stone Age (~145 ka). Lithic has known during this period an evolution within technics of manufacture as well as a morphological diversity including not only tangs but also bifacial pointes, end scrapers, side scarper, Levallois flakes, blades and bladelets. Functions of this tools, however, are still unknwon; only a few use-wear studies were done to answer some specific questions.
In this work, we are realizing a techno-functional study on lithic tools from Aterian context of four Moroccan sites (Taforalt, Rhafas, Bizmoune and Bir El Kouat) based on an experimental protocal that includes both the fieldwork (Lithic raw material proccurement) and Laboratory work (experiments and use-wear study).
Our goal from this work is to better understand Aterian behaviours in different chronologic and geographic contexts based on the study of ''micro-variabilities" within this culture using both technology and functional studies.
| Subject : | : | Oral communication |
| Topics | : | S19-A: Identity, Timing and Environments of the Pleistocene and Holocene Cultures in Northwest Africa |
| Keywords | : | Human complex behaviour ; Middle Stone Age ; Aterian ; Lithic ; Use ; wear analysis |
| PDF version | : |  PDF version |
