The significance of Levallois and discoidal technology in the Arcadia Valley, south central Queensland

Abstract

An analysis of stone artefacts from the Arcadia Valley in south central Queensland is used to develop a core reduction sequence model for the region. During the initial construction of this model, core types are identified that reflect phases or end points in reduction trajectories. The model shows that core reduction methods employed in the Arcadia Valley during the mid-to-late Holocene included Levallois, discoidal, prismatic and burin blade core methods, along with less formal reduction strategies. In recognition of the equifinality of many reduction processes, the model has a flexible structure. Hence the prevalence of the various core reduction methods, and their relationships to each other, may be the subject of a range of hypothetical scenarios which can be tested by employing multiple lines of additional evidence. Following this procedure, it is concluded that Levallois and discoidal methods may account for close to half of the artefact assemblage, while less formal methods were also very common.