The Victoria West: earliest prepared core technology in the Acheulean at Canteen Kopje and implications for the cognitive evolution of early hominids

Prepared core technology illustrates in-depth planning and the presence of a mental template during the core reduction process. This technology is, therefore, a significant indicator in studying the evolution of abstract thought and the cognitive abilities of hominids. Here, we report on Victoria West cores excavated from the Canteen Kopje site in central South Africa, with a preliminary age estimate of approximately 1 Ma (million years ago) for these cores. Technological analysis shows that the Victoria West cores bear similarities to the ‘Volumetric Concept’ as defined for the Levallois, a popular and widely distributed prepared core technology from at least 200 ka (thousand years ago). Although these similarities are present, several notable differences also occur that make the Victoria West a unique and distinctive prepared core technology; these are: elongated and convergent core shapes, consistent blow directions for flake removal, a predominance of large side-struck flakes, and t...

预制石核技术（Prepared core technology）可反映石核剥制过程中所蕴含的深度规划思维与心理模板的存在。因此，该技术是研究抽象思维演化与古人类认知能力的重要指标。本研究报道了出土于南非中部坎廷科普杰遗址（Canteen Kopje site）的维多利亚西石核（Victoria West cores），经初步年代估算，这批石核的年代约为1百万年前（1 Ma，即million years ago）。技术分析表明，维多利亚西石核与勒瓦娄哇技术（Levallois）所定义的"体积概念（Volumetric Concept）"具有相似性——勒瓦娄哇技术是一种至少可追溯至20万年前（200 ka，即thousand years ago）、流行且分布广泛的预制石核技术。尽管二者存在上述相似性，但仍存在若干显著差异，这使得维多利亚西石核成为一种独特且别具一格的预制石核技术，具体特征包括：修长汇聚的石核形态、统一的剥片打击方向、以大型侧剥石片为主，以及……