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Osseous Projectile Weaponry pp 1–11Cite as

Late Pleistocene Osseous Projectile Technology and Cultural Variability

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Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology ((VERT))

Abstract

Modern human evolution and the development of cultural complexity and variability during the Pleistocene have long been central issues in archaeology. This chapter situates the study of osseous projectile weaponry in this wider context of archaeological research, before outlining the challenges that this field currently faces. A brief overview of the evidence for Pleistocene osseous projectile weaponry is then presented in order to demonstrate the temporal and spatial breadth of these material culture items, as well as their ability to contribute to wider anthropological debates about human uniqueness and cultural variability.

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Acknowledgements

My thanks to Mirani Litster, Sean Ulm, and Eric Delson for reading drafts of this manuscript.

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  1. Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Michelle C. Langley

  2. Archaeology and Natural History, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Michelle C. Langley

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    Michelle C. Langley

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Langley, M.C. (2016). Late Pleistocene Osseous Projectile Technology and Cultural Variability. In: Langley, M. (eds) Osseous Projectile Weaponry. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0899-7_1

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