Victoria West Prepared Core Technology at Canteen Kopje, Northern Cape, South Africa

George Leader supervised by

Victoria West (VW) cores could be the oldest prepared core technology (PCT) in the archaeological record but only recently has it received due attention. The cores, named for the town Victoria West, South Africa where they were first found, were first described in detail by v. Riet Lowe and the Abbe Beruil (1948). My research attempts to take a fresh look at VW cores from the site of Canteen Kopje, Northern Cape, South Africa. It is apparent that a new classification of VW core types is needed. Here I present new ideas on VW core classification and suggest that Canteen Kopje provides a more secure assemblage than the original type site for future research. To better understand the VW core phenomenon a solid study of other Early Acheulean core technology leading up to VW cores is needed.