The Social Significance of Technology in Hunter-Gatherer Communities

This study examines the lithic technology of Lateglacial hunter-gatherer communities of the Hamburgian and the Federmesser-Gruppen from a social perspective. A major concern is to address factors that may not be apparent from a purely utilitarian and environmental point of view, in order to better understand the significance of technology beyond its purely practical applications, to explore its role in societal dynamics and to determine how technical practices display cultural choices within the complex entanglement of the social and natural realms. Specifically, the availability, selection and processing of natural resources is examined to highlight the cultural characteristics involved. It is demonstrated how specific social contexts played a crucial role in determining approaches for selecting and processing resources. A theoretical framework serves to illuminate the social perspective and to place the available evidence in context.