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An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Tool Design and Selection in an Andean Agro-Pastoral Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Steve A. Tomka
Steve A. Tomka*
Affiliation:
Center for Archaeological Research, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 8249
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Abstract

Since its introduction, the study of artifact design has shed new light on the nature of variability in prehistoric technological organization. Few ethnoarchaeological studies exist exploring the interrelationships between subsistence risk, the costs of technological failures, and the design of artifacts. This ethnoarchaeological study investigates these relationships in a transhumant agro-pastoral case study from the southwestern Bolivian altiplano. Three aspects of tool design are explored to document variability in design characteristics between and within assemblages from agricultural and pastoral residences. These design features consist of the reliability of raw materials used in tool manufacture, the reliability of joints used in compound tools, and the maintainability of tools in case of partial or total failure. While time-budgeting constraints differ at pastoral and agricultural residences, the costs of production shortfalls are equally severe. In response, artifacts from both residences are designed to be highly reliable. However, depending on the likelihood of tool failure, artifacts are designed with different raw material and joint reliability to either minimize tool failure or maximize maintainability. Multiple backups and replacement components are accumulated and maintained to reduce subsistence risk caused by the failure of artifacts with high potential failure rates or low maintainability.

Resumen

Resumen

La introducción de estudios sobre el diseño de herramientas, y específicamente sus grados de dependencia y mantenimiento, han contribuído a nuevos entendimientos de la variación de organización de conjuntos de artefactos prehistóricos. Aunque muchos estudios arqueólogicos han incorporado este enfoque teórico, existen pocos estudios etnoarqueólogicos dirigidos al entendimiento de los procesos de interacción entre riesgos de subsistencia, probabilidad, y costo de falla; y el diseño de herramientas. Algunos arqueólogos presuponen que solamente el diseño de artefactos provenientes de cazadores recolectores tienen relaciones con riesgos de subsistencia. Este estudio etnoarqueólogico investiga estas relaciones en el contexto de una economía agro-pastoril del altiplano suroeste de Bolivia. Los conceptos de dependencia en términos de la materia prima y técnica de construcción estan implementadas y usadas en la exploración de variación en diseños entre y dentro de conjuntos de artefactos derivados desde residencias agrícolas y pastoreos. Aunque las demandas sobre el tiempo disponible en estas residencias son diferentes, los costos de escasez de produción son igualmente serios, no adjuntando la explotación de cultígenos y animales domésticados. Los resultados indican que en ambas residencias los conjuntos estan dominados por especímenes de alta dependencia. No obstante, al nivel de conjunto y dentro de tipos de artefactos con la misma función, el nivel de dependencia en materia prima y método de contrucción varía al fin de incrementar el grado de mantenimiento del especímen y así llegar a una reducción de los riesgos de subsistencia. En el caso de artefactos caracterizados por niveles elevadas de falla o potencialidades bajas de mantenimiento, estrategias de reemplazo estan implementadas para reducir los riesgos de subsistencia. El estudio demuestra que el diseño de artefactos empleados en un contexto agro-pastoril tiene una relación con riesgos de subsistencia, no obstante que los recursos son cultígenos y animales domesticados.

Type
Reports
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 2001 , pp. 395 - 411
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2001

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