Quantifying the reduction intensity of handaxes with 3D technology: A pilot study on handaxes in the danjiangkou reservoir region, central China

Abstract

This paper presents an approach to analyzing the reduction intensity of handaxes with the aid of 3D scanning technology. Two quantitative reduction indices, the Scar Density Index (SDI) and the Flaked Area Index (FAI), are applied to handaxes from the third terrace of the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region (DRR), central China, dated to the Middle Pleistocene. The results show that most of the DRR handaxes in this sample show moderate reduction, which also reflects a least-effort reduction strategy and a generally short use-life for these tools. Detailed examination of the DRR handaxes by sector reveals that the tips generally show the most reduction, while the bases show the least shaping, with cortex often preserved on the base to facilitate handling. While western Acheulean assemblages in this regard are variable, there are many examples of handaxes of varying age with trimming of the bases. We also found no significant differences in the levels of reduction between the two main raw materials, quartz phyllite and trachyte. However, the type of blank used (large flakes versus cobbles) and the type of shaping (bifacial, partly bifacial and unifacial) do play a significant role in the reduction intensity of the DRR handaxes. Finally, a small number of handaxes from the younger (the early Late Pleistocene) second terrace of the DRR was compared with those from the third terrace. The results indicate that there is no technological change in the reduction intensity through time in these two DRR terraces.