A Techno-Functional Study of the Aterian Technocomplex at Ifri n'Ammar

The tanged tools of the Aterian technocomplex have generally formed the central point in debates on early indications of hafting (Clark, 1970). However, in order to obtain a true understanding of the specificity of this technocomplex, it is essential to study entire assemblages and understand the characteristics of and the relation between the tanged and non-tanged tool component, both on a technological and on a functional level. Until today no functional studies were yet undertaken on complete Aterian tool assemblages. We present the results of the technological and use-wear analysis of the non-tanged tool component of the Aterian assemblage of Ifri n’Ammar (Morocco) and focus on aspects of tool use and hafting.

The rock shelter of Ifri n’Ammar, located in the eastern Moroccan Rif, is known for its rich stratified lithic assemblages, dating to 83 ± 6 ka to 130 ± 8 ka for the upper levels and to 145 ± 9 to 171 ± 12 ka for the lower levels (Richter et al., 2010). In the framework of the recently published dating results of other maghrebian sites (Dörschner et al., 2016), Ifri n’Ammar takes an important position within discussions on the chronological attribution of the Aterian: a large time span extended from MIS 6 to MIS 3 [3].
The sequence has provided a large diversity of tool morphologies which offer the possibility to contribute to the discussion about use and hafting of tanged and non-tanged tools. Aside from the tanged tools and foliates, the material from comparable Aterian assemblages can be defined by the presence of side scrapers, end-scrapers, denticulates, such as blades, bladelets or Levallois cores (Bouzouggar and Barton, 2012).
Despite the frequent presence of post-depositional surface alterations, reliable functional interpretations could be identified on a large number of tools. Previous studies had already confirmed that the tanged tools were used while hafted for hunting and animal processing activities (Tomasso and Rots, 2017). Also a variety of tasks and gestures could be identified on the non-tanged tools based on a combination of diagnostic macro- and microscopic wear traces. Interestingly, also the non-tanged tool component shows evidence of hafting, indicating the existence of a variety in hafting techniques. The integration of the functional results on the non-tanged and tanged tool component allows addressing questions on tool variability, diversity in tool morphology and site function. We argue that the results highlight the importance of the site for improving our understanding of the North African MSA.