|
Palaeolithic
materials are difficult to analyse because of the poor preservation
of contexts in which stone artefacts are found. The second
problem is that Upper Palaeolithic tools are highly variable
which limits formalization and the use of statistics. Technological
categories of stone tools are more universal than are culturally
oriented types and can be more reliably defined, providing
an opportunity for the application of statistical procedures
to planigraphical studies.
The paper focuses on the distribution of flint artefacts within
Upper Palaeolithic sites of the Pushkari group, Ukraine. Multivariate
statistical methods (principal component and cluster analyses)
were used. The results reveal a marked spatial differentiation
of sites with regard to technological features. Specifically,
they suggest that the western part of excavation V at Pushkari
1 (area adjoining the outdoor hearth) is more closely associated
with primary knapping, whereas the eastern part (area within
and immediately outside the dwelling) is related to the process
of blade tool production and use.
|
