Using lithic reduction sites to trace the development of planning & forethought in the humans
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-03-01

Full title: In the Mind of the Maker: Using lithic reduction sites to trace the development of planning and forethought in the human evolutionary past 

This paper explores the use of lithic reduction sites and their assemblages as markers of the progression of forethought and planning, in particular mental time travel (MTT), throughout the Palaeolithic. MTT is the ability to move backwards and forwards in time through engagement of episodic and prospective memories. As a field, cognitive archaeology often fails to unite cognitive evolution models, such as MTT, with Palaeolithic research. The significance of forethought and planning is widely discussed but little attention is actually given to their development. A novel approach was trialled in a diachronic pilot study of two lithic case sites. Each site was analysed through its specific chaîne opératoire and each stage was placed in a distinct planning level. The results were then compared to determine if any progression of forethought and planning could be traced. The findings of one case site are presented here. These results, when placed in a wider archaeological and cognitive context show the nuance of cognitive evolution. It is clear when layered with cognitive models; the approach developed is sensitive to cognitive subtleties. By using this approach, we can move away from the traditional ‘has or has not’ understanding of forethought and planning capabilities of toolmaking hominins. 

Esther Fagelson (University of York):