An evolution of thought on archaeological lithic artifacts: from the Hexagon to the Americas and vice versa

Boëda E.; Hoguin R.; Pérez-Balarezo A. · Revista del Museo de Antropologia (2023) · DOI: 10.31048/1852.4826.v16.n1.40448

Resumen

This article proposes a brief historical review and a current state of research in South America on knapped lithic objects. Particularly, the influence of French school thinking through typological and technological research in this sub-continent is assessed. Firstly, the contributions of the typological perception of lithic material and the rationality that followed it with the construction of a discourse - the so-called “French school of prehistoric technology” - are reviewed. Subsequently, the trajectories of both schools are evaluated in light of the French archaeological missions present in South America. Both schools have influenced the way knowledge is built in France as well as in the South American context. Finally, emphasis is placed on the epistemological effects of French approaches in the Americas, weighing their effective role in the perception, description, and diagnosis of archaeological lithic assemblages: simple reading tools or paradigmatic disruptions?