Inter-assemblage variability: towards an understanding of the effect of raw material procurment in the elmenteitan blade industry

Abstract

This study is based on an attribute analysis of the Elmenteitan blades. Six sites were analysed in the study, Mt. Eburu, Maasai Gorge, Njoro River Cave, Ngamuriak, Sambo Ngige and Gogo Falls. The first three are from the , Central Rift Valley, while Ngamuriak and Sambo Ngige are from South Western Kenya. Gogo Falls is the single Lake Basin Site. The attributes recorded include Length, Width, Thick¬ness, Intensity of Flaking Damage, Edge anzles, nature of retouch and the condition of the striking platform. It is demonstrated that there is a general decrease in length of the Elmenteitan blades as we move from the raw material source area. It was al~o documented that the width/length ratio increase with distance from the Central Rift Valley. In this regard the place of "Long Elmentei- tan Blade" as the fossil directeur of the Elmenteitan Culture is challenged as it suits the Central Rift Valley, and to a lesser extent the South Western Kenya Elmenteitan sites.

In order to determine the extent of utilisation several attributes were taken into account. First, the edge angle, the intensity of the damage at the angle, dire-etion of retouch, retouch regularity, and extent of retouch. The edge angles were divided into very shallow (0 - 300), shallow (31 - 600), steep (61 - 900), and vertical (~910) categories. The extent of the utilisation of each category was assesed and it was f~und that the extent of Utilisation on the very shallow angle differed between the Gogo Falls site and the Central Rift Valley sites. It was also documented that the shallow angle (31 - 60°) at the Central Rift Valley sites was an all purpose angle. This was found by an evaluation of the intensity of damage found

in the category. It is thought that moderate and heavy-duty tasks were conducted with the shallow edge angle at the Central Rift Valley. This was not the case with the South Western Kenya Elmenteitan and Gogo Falls where the steep angle was the angle of heavy and moderate duties.

The shallow angle(31-60) was also moderately utilised but not as much as the steep angle.These variati0ns are argued to be as as a result of the distance factor. It nas been demonstrated that facetted platforms dominates

most of the Elmenteitan blades, except for South Western Kenya where the percentage of facceeted platforms equalled that of abraded platforms.It has been argued that the technological and typological v~riations expressed for South Western Kenya are mainly

due to the distance factor. .