In my capacity as Director of the Santa Cruz Island Reserve (part of the UC Natural Reserve System), I oversee the research, educational and public outreach, and support of the Santa Cruz Island Reserve. Santa Cruz Island is the largest of the California Channel Islands and serves as a both a unique ecosystem in its own right and also as a natural lab to model efforts of conservation and apply them at a global scale.
I am trained as a Paleoanthropologist, specializing in the evolution of human reliance on stone tool technology, statistical analysis of archaeological materials, and modeling technological change and cultural transmission in the Early Stone Age. My research interests on Santa Cruz Island include raw material exchange and production among Chumash groups at various points in the island's history. Supervisors: Dr. Marion Wittman Phone: 805-550-5341 Address: Anthropology Department (Anthropology Social Science 1 Faculty Services Mailstop) University of California, Santa Cruz 361 Social Sciences 1 702 College Nine Rd. Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Recent research suggests that variation exists among and between Oldowan stone tool assemblages. ... more Recent research suggests that variation exists among and between Oldowan stone tool assemblages. Oldowan variation might represent differential constraints on raw materials used to produce these stone implements. Alternatively, variation among Oldowan assemblages could represent different methods that Oldowan producing hominins utilized to produce these lithic implements. Identifying differential patterns of stone tool production within the Oldowan has implications for assessing how stone tool technology evolved, how traditions of lithic production might have been culturally transmitted, and for defining the timing and scope of these evolutionary events. At present there is no null model to predict what morphological variation in the Oldowan should look like. Without such a model, quantifying whether Oldowan assemblages vary due to raw material constraints or whether they vary due to differences in production technique is not possible. This research establishes a null model for Oldowan lithic artifact morphological variation. To establish these expectations this research 1) models the expected range of variation through large scale reduction experiments , 2) develops an algorithm to categorize archaeological flakes based on how they are produced, and 3) statistically assesses the methods of production behavior used by Oldo-wan producing hominins at the site of DK from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania via the experimental model. Results indicate that a subset of quartzite flakes deviate from the null expectations in a manner that demonstrates efficiency in flake manufacture, while some basalt flakes deviate from null expectations in a manner that demonstrates inefficiency in flake manufacture. The simultaneous presence of efficiency in stone tool production for one raw material (quartzite) and inefficiency in stone tool production for another raw material (basalt) suggests that Oldowan producing hominins at DK were able to mediate the economic costs associated with stone tool procurement by utilizing high-cost materials more efficiently than is expected and low-cost materials in an inefficient manner.
Traditional lithic artifact analyses have provided information regarding hominin ranging behavior... more Traditional lithic artifact analyses have provided information regarding hominin ranging behaviors, raw material preferences, and the potential for functionality. However, there is currently no standard method for determining how hominins produced lithic artifacts. This dissertation research provides the first quantitative measure of flake production techniques and applies these measures to the Oldowan of Koobi Fora, Kenya and Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Four Oldowan production behaviors are identified and are used to define what has been called the “least effort approach” to flake production in the Oldowan. Behaviorally informative measurements are taken on whole flakes and size standardized using their geometric mean. In order to attribute each archaeological flake to a production behavior, large experimental assemblages are created using native raw materials from Koobi Fora and Olduvai Gorge (n = 3,651 flakes and 443 cores). Each experimentally produced flake has empirically known production behaviors associated with it. A multivariate classification algorithm is constructed to determine a classification tree of best fit for the experimental flakes such that each flake is assigned a particular production behavior. Archaeological flakes are assessed via this classification algorithm and then compared to the experimental expectations for distribution of production behaviors. The application of Oldowan archaeological assemblages to this process demonstrates that the null hypothesis that a least effort manufacturing strategy was employed at Koobi Fora cannot be rejected, but this null hypothesis can be rejected for subsets of quartzite and basalt flakes at Olduvai Gorge. Hominins at both localities demonstrate an understanding of raw material economics, but at Olduvai Gorge these hominins demonstrate a consistent ability to produce flakes in a more efficient way than a least effort approach predicts. Hominins at Olduvai Gorge consistently transport quartzite flakes to the site locations, while they consistently transport basalt cores to the sites. Koobi Fora hominins also demonstrate the ability to transport raw materials, but do not produce flakes outside of least effort expectations. Due to these differences in stone tool production strategies and lithic transport behaviors, this research argues that distinct cultural differences between hominin populations are quantifiably evident as early as the Oldowan.
Recent research suggests that variation exists among and between Oldowan stone tool assemblages. ... more Recent research suggests that variation exists among and between Oldowan stone tool assemblages. Oldowan variation might represent differential constraints on raw materials used to produce these stone implements. Alternatively, variation among Oldowan assemblages could represent different methods that Oldowan producing hominins utilized to produce these lithic implements. Identifying differential patterns of stone tool production within the Oldowan has implications for assessing how stone tool technology evolved, how traditions of lithic production might have been culturally transmitted, and for defining the timing and scope of these evolutionary events. At present there is no null model to predict what morphological variation in the Oldowan should look like. Without such a model, quantifying whether Oldowan assemblages vary due to raw material constraints or whether they vary due to differences in production technique is not possible. This research establishes a null model for Oldowan lithic artifact morphological variation. To establish these expectations this research 1) models the expected range of variation through large scale reduction experiments , 2) develops an algorithm to categorize archaeological flakes based on how they are produced, and 3) statistically assesses the methods of production behavior used by Oldo-wan producing hominins at the site of DK from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania via the experimental model. Results indicate that a subset of quartzite flakes deviate from the null expectations in a manner that demonstrates efficiency in flake manufacture, while some basalt flakes deviate from null expectations in a manner that demonstrates inefficiency in flake manufacture. The simultaneous presence of efficiency in stone tool production for one raw material (quartzite) and inefficiency in stone tool production for another raw material (basalt) suggests that Oldowan producing hominins at DK were able to mediate the economic costs associated with stone tool procurement by utilizing high-cost materials more efficiently than is expected and low-cost materials in an inefficient manner.
Traditional lithic artifact analyses have provided information regarding hominin ranging behavior... more Traditional lithic artifact analyses have provided information regarding hominin ranging behaviors, raw material preferences, and the potential for functionality. However, there is currently no standard method for determining how hominins produced lithic artifacts. This dissertation research provides the first quantitative measure of flake production techniques and applies these measures to the Oldowan of Koobi Fora, Kenya and Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Four Oldowan production behaviors are identified and are used to define what has been called the “least effort approach” to flake production in the Oldowan. Behaviorally informative measurements are taken on whole flakes and size standardized using their geometric mean. In order to attribute each archaeological flake to a production behavior, large experimental assemblages are created using native raw materials from Koobi Fora and Olduvai Gorge (n = 3,651 flakes and 443 cores). Each experimentally produced flake has empirically known production behaviors associated with it. A multivariate classification algorithm is constructed to determine a classification tree of best fit for the experimental flakes such that each flake is assigned a particular production behavior. Archaeological flakes are assessed via this classification algorithm and then compared to the experimental expectations for distribution of production behaviors. The application of Oldowan archaeological assemblages to this process demonstrates that the null hypothesis that a least effort manufacturing strategy was employed at Koobi Fora cannot be rejected, but this null hypothesis can be rejected for subsets of quartzite and basalt flakes at Olduvai Gorge. Hominins at both localities demonstrate an understanding of raw material economics, but at Olduvai Gorge these hominins demonstrate a consistent ability to produce flakes in a more efficient way than a least effort approach predicts. Hominins at Olduvai Gorge consistently transport quartzite flakes to the site locations, while they consistently transport basalt cores to the sites. Koobi Fora hominins also demonstrate the ability to transport raw materials, but do not produce flakes outside of least effort expectations. Due to these differences in stone tool production strategies and lithic transport behaviors, this research argues that distinct cultural differences between hominin populations are quantifiably evident as early as the Oldowan.
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The application of Oldowan archaeological assemblages to this process demonstrates that the null hypothesis that a least effort manufacturing strategy was employed at Koobi Fora cannot be rejected, but this null hypothesis can be rejected for subsets of quartzite and basalt flakes at Olduvai Gorge. Hominins at both localities demonstrate an understanding of raw material economics, but at Olduvai Gorge these hominins demonstrate a consistent ability to produce flakes in a more efficient way than a least effort approach predicts. Hominins at Olduvai Gorge consistently transport quartzite flakes to the site locations, while they consistently transport basalt cores to the sites. Koobi Fora hominins also demonstrate the ability to transport raw materials, but do not produce flakes outside of least effort expectations. Due to these differences in stone tool production strategies and lithic transport behaviors, this research argues that distinct cultural differences between hominin populations are quantifiably evident as early as the Oldowan.
The application of Oldowan archaeological assemblages to this process demonstrates that the null hypothesis that a least effort manufacturing strategy was employed at Koobi Fora cannot be rejected, but this null hypothesis can be rejected for subsets of quartzite and basalt flakes at Olduvai Gorge. Hominins at both localities demonstrate an understanding of raw material economics, but at Olduvai Gorge these hominins demonstrate a consistent ability to produce flakes in a more efficient way than a least effort approach predicts. Hominins at Olduvai Gorge consistently transport quartzite flakes to the site locations, while they consistently transport basalt cores to the sites. Koobi Fora hominins also demonstrate the ability to transport raw materials, but do not produce flakes outside of least effort expectations. Due to these differences in stone tool production strategies and lithic transport behaviors, this research argues that distinct cultural differences between hominin populations are quantifiably evident as early as the Oldowan.