Approaches to style in lithic archaeology

摘要: Abstract A key issue in lithic archaeology is how to identify the respective roles played by ethnicity and activity—that is, style function—in formal variation exhibited stone tools. This paper argues that most profitably regarded as ethnic idiom imparted technology each all of its aspects due culture-historical context manufacture employment. Style thus a full complement function, it be looked for wherever artisans encounter options form use “choose” from pursuing given task. Because equates with functionally equivalent choice, this labeled isochrestic approach style. Contrasted iconological approach, which restricts solely those purposefully invest symbolic content reflecting self-conscious social groups. Pottery decoration appears reveal such investment therefore ceramic sociology feasible enterprise. However, parallel tools much less promising. At least exemplified writings Lewis Binford, would seem have little substantive grounding relevant empirical data, argued within what may an unsound theoretical frame (including distinction between curative expedient technologies), any case resist translation into workable analytic machinery. Not among reasons last fact do not possess wherein iconologically significant can objectively identified defined. The archaeological reference approaches are discussed largely contributed classic Paleolithic sequence Perigord region southwestern France.