Lucie Bolton

Simple Prepared Cores and the Origins of Levallois

Supervisor: Dr. John McNabb

Abstract:

This research focuses on the origins of a stone-tool working technique called Levallois. The arrival of Levallois is generally thought to be associated with the emergence of early Neanderthals in Europe. Elsewhere, it is associated with the earliest Homo sapiens. In the context of evolution, it signals game-changing shifts in hominin behaviour. This paper looks at the evidence for the in situ development of Levallois in Britain in the form of Simple Prepared Cores (SPCs). This research is the first large-scale study of SPCs, looking at the implications of their presence and technologically defining them for the first time.

email: lsb1g09@soton.ac.uk