Examining the Levallois Reduction Strategy from a Design Theory Point of View

This research examines the potential advantages of the Levallois reduction strategy that led to its long history of use, developing a model of Middle Palaeolithic lifeways to identify factors that influenced and constrained the design of stone technology and tool kits. From this, hypotheses are developed to explain the advantages that Levallois reduction would present. These hypotheses are then tested through analysis of the morphology of the products of different reduction strategies and of tool blank selection patterns at sites in southern France. This analysis indicates that Levallois reduction would present notable advantages under conditions of restricted access to raw material. Some functional advantages may also rest in the morphology of certain Levallois products. It is also apparent that classic Levallois reduction cannot be defined in isolation from other single-surface core strategies, and that much of the advantage of classic Levallois reduction is inherent in all such strategies.