Reliable and Maintainable Technologies: Artifact Standardization and the Early to Later Mesolithic Transition in Northern England

Abstract

Interpreting and explaining numerical variance in artifact assemblages has not played an important role in lithic analysis. As shown, this measure has much to offer in understanding prehistoric behavior. Variance in microlith assemblages is examined to test Myers' (1986, 1989b) model of changing hunting strategies across the Early-to-Later Mesolithic transition. It is shown that Early Mesolithic microliths are highly standardized relative to analogous items from the Later Mesolithic. This finding is related to weapons design systems and the embeddedness of microliths within seasonal activities. It is argued that Early Mesolithic microliths were produced in large numbers ahead of time within a reliable weapons system focused on intercept hunting, while Later Mesolithic microliths were produced in smaller batches, as needed, within a maintainable system optimized for encounter-based hunting.

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