Matthew V. Kroot, PhD
Assistant Professor
Arizona State University
School of Human Evolution & Social Change

Stone tools in Africa are the earliest evidence we have of human material culture. Their shifting roles in societies over millions of years provide us with unparalleled insights into long-term human histories. As a part of a broader program of archaeological survey and excavation, the Bandafassi Regional Archaeological Project collected chipped stone artifacts from over 100 sites in southeastern Senegal. In this talk, I will present our analysis of these stone tools. Results show dramatic changes through time in raw material use, production methods, and the roles of stone tool economies in society. Additionally, our work highlights the essential role of chipped stone technology well after the introduction of iron smelting and access global trade markets during the Atlantic Period. This research demonstrates that large-scale regional studies of stone tool economies and a focused interest on chipped stone after the Stone Age can provide significant insights into the structures and practices of local communities embedded in regional and global social networks.