Percorrer por autor "Buchanan, Briggs"
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- Examining the distribution of middle paleolithic nubian cores relative to chert quality in southern (Nejd, Dhofar) and south‐central (Duqm, Al Wusta) OmanPublication . Eren, Metin I.; Bebber, Michelle R.; Singer, David; Pearson, Chloe; Ortiz, Joseph D.; Buchanan, Briggs; Beshkani, Amir; Chlachula, Dominik; Dellmour, Rudolf; Garba, Roman; Marks, Anthony E.; Usyk, Vitaly; Rose, Jeffrey IanLithic raw material properties are often invoked to explain the presence, absence, form, or ontogeny of Paleolithic stone tools. Here, we explore whether the frequency of the Middle Paleolithic Nubian core form and core-reduction systems co-varies with toolstone quality in two neighboring regions in Oman: the southern region of Nejd, Dhofar, and the south-central region of Duqm, Al Wusta. Specifically, we predicted that if raw material differences were influencing the distribution of Nubian cores, the chert would be of higher quality in the southern region, where Nubian cores were frequent, and of lower quality in the south-central region, where they were scarce. We tested this prediction by collecting 124 chert samples from 22 outcrops and then quantitatively assessed two geochemical variables that are widely thought to influence knapping: impurity amount and silica content. We also examined the mineralogical composition, and the crystallite size and lattice strain for quartz (crystalline alpha-SiO2) of representative chert samples. Our results suggest that the cherts in the two regions are similar, which is not consistent with the hypothesis that lithic raw material quality contributed to Nubian core spatial distribution in Oman. We discuss potential alternative hypotheses to explain Nubian core geographic patterning, and provisionally suggest that the scarcity of Nubian cores in south-central Oman may be due to a concomitant scarcity of toolmakers, given a lack of water availability.
- Identifying accurate artefact morphological ranges using optimal linear estimation: method validation, case studies, and codePublication . Key, Alastair; Eren, Metin I.; Bebber, Michelle R.; Buchanan, Briggs; Cortell-Nicolau, Alfredo; Martín-Ramos, Carmen; Peña, Paloma de la; Petrie, Cameron A.; Proffitt, Tomos; Robb, John; Michelaki, Konstantina-Eleni; Jarić, IvanA fundamental goal of archaeologists is to infer the behaviour of past humans from the attributes of the artefacts they left behind. The archaeological record is, however, fragmented and often provides a partial record of the total artefacts produced by a given population. In turn, there is potential for population-level morphometric data, and therefore behavioural inferences, to be biased relative to the trends realised in the past. This includes morphological range data which are important for identifying similarities and differences between artefact groups, and for contextualising artefacts relative to external variables such as human anatomy, ecology, climate and chronology. Here, we investigate whether optimal linear estimation (OLE) modelling can be used to accurately identify the upper and lower limits of artefact morphological ranges (including those represented by sparse datasets). First, we test whether OLE reliably identifies morphological ranges using randomly sampled subsets of ‘known and complete’ replica artefact assemblages. Using morphometric data from lithic, ceramic, and metal archaeological case studies, we then identify how much further the upper and lower form limits of these artefact types would have been in the past, relative to the ranges evidenced by excavated (i.e., known partial) records. Validation tests demonstrate OLE to be capable of providing broadly accurate estimates for the true morpho logical range of artefact assemblages. Estimate accuracy increases relative to the percentage of the total assemblage used and the method is shown to function well using as few as five records (k) from an assemblage. The case studies reveal how OLE can overhaul or reinforce our understanding of artefact morphological ranges. In some instances, it is clear that the archaeological record provides a highly accurate representation of artefact morphological ranges and the overlap between artefact groups. For others, it is demonstrated that our understanding of the extreme artefact forms produced by past people is likely inaccurate
- Mapping lateral stratigraphy at Palaeolithic surface sites: a case study from Dhofar, OmanPublication . Rose, Jeffrey Ian; Hilbert, Yamandú H.; Usyk, Vitaly I.; Bebber, Michelle R.; Beshkani, Amir; Buchanan, Briggs; Cascalheira, João; Chlachula, Dominik; Dellmour, Rudolf; Eren, Metin I.; Garba, Roman; Hallinan, Emily; Li, Li; Walker, Robert S.; Marks, Anthony E.Open-air accumulations of chipped stone debris are a common feature in arid landscapes, yet despite their prevalence, such archives are often dismissed as uninformative or unreliable. In the canyonlands of Dhofar, southern Oman, lithic surface scatters are nearly ubiquitous, including extensive, multi-component workshops associated with chert outcrops. These sites typically display chronologically diagnostic features that correspond to distinct taphonomic states, which in turn appear linked to spatial distribution, with more heavily weathered artifacts often found farther from the chert outcrops. We propose that post-depositional modifications and spatial distributions of chipped stone artifacts reflect site formation processes and, under certain conditions, may provide relative chronological information when absolute dating methods are unavailable. Our study tests this hypothesis by mapping artifact distribution and lithic taphonomy across a series of surface sites in southern Oman, spanning the Lower, Middle, and Upper/Late Palaeolithic periods. The results largely support our model, offering valuable insights into surface site formation and technological change over time. While these findings serve as broad predictive markers for age, their applicability for analyzing finer-scale assemblage variability remains to be determined. Future taphonomic recording systems should aim to quantify surface modifications to enhance replicability for such studies.