| Summary: | The use of bipolar (on anvil) methods for resource exploitation has been identified in the archaeological record from the late Pliocene through to the Holocene. During all phases of human evolution, bipolar knapping and wedging were applied by different hominin species in a wide range of ecological settings. Studies on lithic bipolar methods have mainly focused on understanding the functional aspects of this technology. This paper explores the variability of the application of these methods during the Paleolithic on a macro scale. Through the meta-analysis of published data from 167 sites, it is posited that the use of bipolar methods may have had a significant impact on hominin expansion, adaptation, and survival strategies. Furthermore, the recurrent use of bipolar methods is not only an indicator of its success as an adaptive strategy, but also of how hominins were able to evaluate different types of efficiency through time.
|
|---|