Lola TYDGADT

Title

Lateral projectile armatures in the Palaeolithic period: identification, chronology and variation

Summary

In Palaeolithic studies, projectiles have been under the spotlight for the last two decades, for their significant position as lithic productions, cultural markers, but also as proxies to evaluate cognition and hunting tactics.  Methods to identify projectile points and their propulsion technique (bow and arrow, spear-thrower and javelin, throwing and thrusting) have been investigated but mostly targeted apically hafted points. Lola Tydgadt’s research focusses on creating a method to identify laterally hafted projectiles (barbs) in archaeological samples, and also to distinguish them from apical points and other laterally hafted tools (i.e. knives). By combining technological and functional approaches, she aims to identify the diagnostic wear associated to this material, their propulsion modes and hafting arrangements on an extensive experimental collection. Protoaurignacian bladelets from European contexts are to be used as a case study and application of this identification and characterization method.