Word count at least 550

As you’ve learned from both Lecture 3 and your readings this week, an artifact can tell us a lot of information, ranging from the time period in which it was made to the techniques used to create it. In this assignment, you will get the chance to practice this type of archaeological interpretation with a set of 3D artifact models.

The following links will take you to 3D models of various artifacts that you will recognize from your readings and lecture this week:

Early Stone Tools: Oldowan Tool (Links to an external site.), Acheulean Hand Axe (Links to an external site.), Mousterian Flake (Links to an external site.), Mousterian Scraper (Links to an external site.)

Upper Paleolithic Objects: Venus of Willendorf (Links to an external site.), Solutrean Leaf Blade (Links to an external site.), Bird Figurine (Links to an external site.), Lion Man (Links to an external site.), Stone burin (Links to an external site.), drill (Links to an external site.),bone point (Links to an external site.), bone harpoon (Links to an external site.)

Look at the objects and address each of the questions (5 points each). I suggest drawing on your readings and/or lectures to add detail to your answers. You can either submit your answers by typing directly into the text box or uploading a Word document or PDF.

1. Select one artifact and provide a basic description. Your description should be detailed to the point where a person who had nothing but your response would be able to pick out the artifact you chose. Questions to address in your description include but are not limited to: What type of material is the object you chose made from? What kind of object is it? What is its shape? What colors or designs are included on it? What is its size?
2. Based on the observations you made in question 1, what can you infer about the manufacturing of the artifact you chose? What steps might have been taken to create this object?
3. Consider the manufacturing process involved in creating these artifacts. What might you expect to find at a tool manufacturing site? Explain your reasoning.
4. Consider the Mousterian flake and scraper tools. Both were created using the Levallois technique, which involves chipping the stone core on all sides before striking a flaked tool. What might be advantageous about utilizing this technique, and what might this tell you about the cognition of the flintknapper who create these tools?
5. Look at the Solutrean Leaf Blade. Do you think this was designed for utilitarian function? Explain your reasoning. What other purposes might explain this artifact?
6. Compare the two sets of artifacts. How do the Upper Paleolithic tools (burin, drill, point, harpoon) differ from the other stone tools? Discuss in terms of source material, function, and manufacture. How are all of the artifacts similar?
7. What unanswered questions do you have about these objects?

Rubric

Artifact Analysis Assignment