[Book review] Lithic technological systems and evolutionary theory

Abstract

Over recent years, the research interests of prehistoric archaeologists have diversified, but lithics (stone tools) remain central to understanding hominin behavioural variation. Approaches to lithic analysis vary from the philosophical to the highly empirical, and there is little consensus on the ‘right’ way to do lithic analysis—or, indeed, whether a universal approach is possible. These different methods and theories operate at multiple levels, from the character of data collection through to higher-level interpretative frameworks. One prominent strand of lithic analysis takes an ‘evolutionary’ perspective. Whether one advocates this evolutionary approach or not, this edited collection will be critical reading for those wanting to understand where the approach comes from, what it means, how it is done and what it tells us about human behaviour in the past.