RT Journal Article
T1 Testing the Bordes method on handaxes: a geometric morphometric approach
A1 Méndez Quintas, Eduardo
K1 5505.01 Arqueología
K1 5504.05 Prehistoria
AB Bordes’ typology has been in use for many years and is widely applied in studies of Early and Middle Palaeolithicstone tools, especially in vocabulary and typological classification in shaping artefacts (mainly flake tools andhandaxes). However, over the years, this method has received different critiques, especially regarding thearbitrariness and subjectivism in the definition and classification of some artefacts. The application of geometricmorphometric methods (2D or 3D) on the study of stone tools is starting to become widespread. These methodological approaches are highly suitable for measuring patterns in shape change between artefact groups, whichwould be impossible to establish with more “traditional” methods. This paper aims to analyse the accuracy andreliability of the main types of handaxes established by Bordes, by performing different methods of GeometricMorphometric Analysis. The evidence from this study suggests that a large percentage of the handaxe types notedby Bordes is reliable and correlates with statistically significant changes in shape and only a small percentage offorms have no geometric morphometric significance. Likewise, these findings support the suitability of GeometricMorphometric Analysis on lithic artefact assemblages focusing on the measurement and classification by shapechanges.
PB Journal of Archaeological Science Reports
SN 2352409X
YR 2022
FD 2022-10
LK http://hdl.handle.net/11093/3971
UL http://hdl.handle.net/11093/3971
LA eng
NO Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 45, 103563 (2022)
NO Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481D-2022/023
DS Investigo
RD 15-sep-2024