Great post Pain and thank you for the awesome descriptive refit sketches.
I have given it a lot of thought and I don't believe the theory that overshot flaking was invented because it enabled knappers to conserve material. Having looked at Solutrean projectile points I believe they used over shot technique for another reason.
I believe the Solutrean knappers used that technique because they were interested in lifting their knapping beyond the utilitarian nature of projectile points. They were interested in creating masterful works of art. Their flint knapping was their artistic expression.
This is a logical assumption I base upon many of the points they left behind. It seems that they were made better than they needed to be. In the same manner, many Clovis points were made better than a projectile point that was only necessary to kill the next meal. Most Clovis points seem to have been made better than they should have been too and this was very Solutrean-like of them.
I have given it a lot of thought and I don't believe the theory that overshot flaking was invented because it enabled knappers to conserve material. Having looked at Solutrean projectile points I believe they used over shot technique for another reason.
I believe the Solutrean knappers used that technique because they were interested in lifting their knapping beyond the utilitarian nature of projectile points. They were interested in creating masterful works of art. Their flint knapping was their artistic expression.
This is a logical assumption I base upon many of the points they left behind. It seems that they were made better than they needed to be. In the same manner, many Clovis points were made better than a projectile point that was only necessary to kill the next meal. Most Clovis points seem to have been made better than they should have been too and this was very Solutrean-like of them.
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