What comes after the Developed Oldowan B debate? Techno-economic data from SHK main site (Middle Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)

Abstract

The Oldowan-Acheulean transition shows remarkable variability in Olduvai Bed II. To explain this, M. Leakey formulated a cultural model whose most distinctive contribution was the introduction of two cultural traditions (Developed Oldowan A and B) between the Oldowan and the Acheulean. This model has been discussed for the last fifty years, giving rise to the “Developed Oldowan B debate”. SHK is one of the very few sites that M. Leakey employed to characterize this cultural tradition. We present here a techno-economic analysis of the lithic assemblage recovered in a current excavation at this site that positively provides evidence of structured and complex techno-economic behavior. The results are consistent with the current and uncontested consensus about the Acheulean nature of the Developed Oldowan B. These results may also fuel a newly established debate.