IMHICIHU   13380
INSTITUTO MULTIDISCIPLINARIO DE HISTORIA Y CIENCIAS HUMANAS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Relative importance of modularity and other morphological attributes on different types of lithic point weapons: assessing functional variations
Autor/es:
GONZÁLEZ JOSÉ, ROLANDO; JUDITH CHARLIN
Revista:
PLOS ONE
Editorial:
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
Referencias:
Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2012
ISSN:
1932-6203
Resumen:
The specific using of different prehistoric weapons is
mainly determined by its physical properties, which provide a relative
advantage or disadvantage to perform a given, particular function. Since these physical
properties are integrated to accomplish that function, examining design
variables and their pattern of integration or modularity is of interest to
estimate the past function of a point. Here we analyze a composite sample of
lithic points from southern Patagonia likely formed by arrows, thrown spears
and hand-held points to test if they can be viewed as a two-module system formed
by the blade and the stem, and to evaluate the degree in which shape, size,
asymmetry, blade:stem length ratio, and tip angle explain the observed variance
and differentiation among points supposedly aimed to accomplish different
functions. To do so we performed a geometric morphometric analysis on 118
lithic points, departing from 24 two-dimensional landmark and semi landmarks
placed on the point?s contour. Klingenberg?s covariational modularity tests
were used to evaluate different modularity hypotheses, and a composite PCA
including shape, size, asymmetry, blade:stem length ratio, and tip angle was
used to estimate the importance of each attribute to explaining variation
patterns. Results show that the blade and the stem can be seen as ?near
decomposable units? in the points integrating the studied sample. However, this
modular pattern changes after removing the effects of reduction. Indeed, a
resharpened point tends to show a tip/rest of the point modular pattern. The
composite PCA analyses evidenced three different patterns of morphometric
attributes compatible with arrows, thrown spears, and hand-held tools.
Interestingly, when analyzed independently, these groups show differences in
their modular organization. Our results indicate that stone tools can be
approached as flexible designs, characterized by a composite set of interacting
morphometric attributes, and evolving on a modular way.