A transdisciplinary exploration of the Acheulean through bone surface modifications and the cutting implements that produced them – BSMART

The Acheulean was one of the most successful Palaeolithic cultures lasting for more than 1.5 million years, spreading across three continents, and in association with at last five different hominin species. The Acheulean is marked by the emergence of cutting implements in larger formats (Large Cutting Tools, LCTs) than previously recorded, as well as the preconceived production of tools, implicating a considerable advancement in the cognitive abilities of the authors of this technocomplex.

Since the discovery of the first LCTs, such as handaxes, authors have debated and questioned the functionality of these tools, and their implications to multiple cognitive and cultural questions regarding our early human evolution. At present, general consensus strongly leans towards the use of these tools as butchery and hunting implements, given the appearance of these artefacts synchronous with an increased appearance of large mammals, particularly proboscideans, in the corresponding sites. Nevertheless, the means in which we can confirm this association between LCTs and developed butchery activities, as opposed to other activities such as woodwork or processing plants, are largely restricted by a number of factors. While the analysis of microscopic use-wear on the edge of artefacts have made great progress in this field, they are limited by the preservation rate of these traces. Likewise, experts in the study of osteological remains focus on the identification of butchery traces, but seldom consider the implements that may have produced them.

The goal of BSMART is to build a transdisciplinary approach to bridging the analysis of both faunal and lithic remains so as to confront these questions. This project therefore intends to assess not just the Bone Surface Modifications (BSMs) found on faunal remains, but the relationship they have with the cutting edges that produced them. BSMART will confront this task by implementing high resolution microscopic and computational resources, including advanced statistics and artificially intelligent algorithms, to facilitate and improve the accuracy of these analyses in both 2D and 3D. In addition, we will develop a high resolution and open-source experimental programme to better understand the archaeological data, thus supporting our hypotheses and finds.

Through this, BSMART will develop innovative tools that will contribute to our knowledge of this iconic culture, with a strong focus on the development and expansion of the Acheulean throughout Africa during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. With this purpose, BSMART will provide a robust framework for the study of fossil remains, while contributing to our knowledge on the cognitive and cultural processes that drove their creation. This will shed new light on our early human evolution in Africa, with great potential to ask valuable questions across multiple time periods as well.