Variability in bifacial technology at Elandsfontein, Western cape, South Africa: a geometric morphometric approach

This study applies a new three-dimensional measurement technique to determine the major source of variation in the Acheulian bifacial tool collection from the Middle Pleistocene site of Elandsfontein, South Africa. This three-dimensional technique is compared with conventional two-dimensional methods to investigate which methods capture morphological variation in the assemblage most comprehensively. Additionally, a set of experimentally produced bifacial tools are incorporated into the analyses to isolate the behavioral pattern underpinning identified variation in the archaeological assemblage. The interpretative breadth of current models explaining morphological variation in bifacial tools is then tested against the pattern identified in the Elandsfontein assemblage. Variation appears to be related to the consistent application of a specific reduction strategy associated with the early stages of bifacial tool manufacture. The intensity with which this strategy was applied seems to have been mediated by the availability of raw material that was suitable for the production of large bifacial tools. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.