Towards an Understanding of Site Formation' and the Integrity of the Excavated Stone Artifact Assemblage From Fxjj 20 Site Complex, Koobi Fora, Kenya
Abstract
The reconstruction of past human behaviour
from patterns of material remains recovered from
archaeological sites is one of the major goals
in archaeology. It is recognized that these patterns
are the result of a complex set of interactions
between cultural and non-cultural factors. In order
to achieve this goal, it is argued that the
archaeologist must have a well founded understanding
of how the archaeological record is formed. Studies
of site formation processes aim at providing the
data that can be used to interpret and explain the
nature of the materials deposited by both cultural
and non-cultural processes, and the relationships
between these materials and past human behaviour.
This thesis provides information on the
processes involved in the formation of FxJj 20 Site
Complex - an Early Stone Age Site in the Lower
Okote Member of the Koobi Fora Formation in the
Lake Turkana Basin of Northern Kenya. This has
been done through a conjoins and technological
analyses of the stone artefact assemblage from
the site.
A conjoins analysis of 'the stone artefact
assemblage excavated from this site provides
evidence on the vertical displacement of artefacts
ln fine-grained overbank deposits through a variety
of depositional and post-depositional processes.
In addition it provides information on the intrasite
spatial patterning of the stone artifacts
that accumulated at this site. The vertical and
horizontal distribution of artefacts can be used
to assess alternative interpretations about the
extent of post-\depositional disturbance of
archaeological materials, and may allow the
identification of some of the individual events
and activities that resulted in the dense accumulation
of archaeological debris at the FxJj 20 locality.
Technological studies are useful for
determining how things were made and what sorts of
materials hominids were carrying and discarding
across the landscape. Indeed technological
analysis in this study provides insights into ,
the sorts 0f hom1'n1'dactivities that were carr1ed
out at the Site• The analysis further provides
information about the forms of raw materials
hominids were exploiting at the site.
Chapter one states the aims and scope of
the thesis. A discussion of archaeological site
formation processes and a review of previous
research is presented. This is followed by specific
questions addressed to in this thesis. Chapter
two describes the methods and procedures used in
both conjoins and technological analysis.
Results of the analyses are reported in
Chapters three and four. Chapter three presents
results of a conjoins analysis and discusses their
implication, while chapter four reports results
of technological analysis and their implications.
Chapter five deals with a summary and conclusions.
A reiteration of the inferences made from each
aspect of the analysis and a discussion of all
of them in relation to the objectives set out
Citation
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of masters of arts (Archaeology) in the University of NairobiPublisher
University of Nairobi, Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies