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- Title
Sex, symmetry and silliness in the bifacial world.
- Authors
Hayden, Brian; Villeneuve, Suzanne
- Abstract
The article refers to the 1999 "Antiquity" article "Handaxes: products of sexual selection?" by M. Kohn and S. Mithin, offers the authors' views on the application of trendy theories to artifacts, and discusses the biface manufacture of tools in the Stone Age. The discussion focuses on handaxes, fish butchering knives, and design theory. Explanations are proposed for the stockpiling of tools, for hard-hammer percussion flaking or resharpening, and for the symmetrical form of the tools that extends beyond functional design. The soft-hammer reduction technique which also produces symmetry in handaxes is mentioned.
- Subjects
STONE implements; DESIGN &; anthropology; PREHISTORIC axes; PREHISTORIC knives; PALEOLITHIC Period; SEXUAL selection
- Publication
Antiquity, 2009, Vol 83, Issue 322, p1163
- ISSN
0003-598X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/S0003598X00099440