Middle Stone Age Problem Solving: Examining the evidence for working memory
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 28/02/2019

Full title: Middle Stone Age Problem Solving: Examining the evidence for working memory in the development of projectile weaponry 


The development of projectile technology is hailed as a marker of modern human behaviour; however, despite extensive research its origins remain unresolved. This study aims to demonstrate the role of the mind in the development of projectile weaponry. Working memory, a psychological term that describes the processes by which problems are solved, can be viewed in the archaeological record using conigrams (Haidle 2010). Understanding the cognitive process of problem solving allows us to examine artefacts as solutions, shifting the focus onto what circumstances required the development of new technology. If projectile technology was the solution, what were the problems encountered by early humans that led to its development? To explore this, the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort sequences at two MSA sites, Blombos Cave and Sibudu Cave, are reviewed. Links between the lithic assemblages and Palaeoenvironmental evidence indicate humans at this time were subjected to extreme climate pressure and demographic change. This paper explores the possibility that the emergence of projectile technology at these sites was the result of the application of working memory to environmental pressures. The concept of working memory provides a new angle to the origins of projectile technology debate, and demonstrates the need for cognitive consideration in archaeological investigation.  

Charlotte Burnell (UCL)