Idiosyncratic technical signatures in Upper Palaeolithic blade productions (INDI-PAL)

Full title

In search of the individual: building a method for the identification of idiosyncratic technical signatures in blade productions of the Upper Palaeolithic (INDI-PAL)

Principal investigator

Olivier TOUZÉ

Funding

Fonds de la Recherche scientifique - FNRS

Years

2021-2024

Summary

This project aims to develop a method for recognizing individual technical signatures within the productions of flint blades of the Upper Palaeolithic. It is based on a traceological and technological approach at different scales of analysis, tightly intertwined with experimentation involving modern flint knappers. Next to understanding the diversity of macro- and microscopic knapping traces created by the use of different prehistoric percussion techniques, the project aims to define the magnitude and characteristics of the individual variation in blade production with particular attention to the psychomotor habits of the knappers. The research is conducted under the direction of Dr Veerle Rots and involves close collaborations with the CETREP (Centre for the Study of Techniques and Experimental Research in Prehistory) based in the Préhistomuseum (Ramioul, Belgium), and with the UMR 8068 TEMPS (Nanterre, France) for the analysis of several assemblages coming from well-preserved open-air Magdalenian and Gravettian sites, namely Pincevent, Verberie, and Ormesson. The purposes of this research are to address questions related to the place of the individual within prehistoric societies, and to reassess the influence of the individual on the production of prehistoric material cultures.