Papers by Hermine Xhauflair
PLOS ONE, 2023
A large part of our material culture is made of organic materials, and this was likely the case a... more A large part of our material culture is made of organic materials, and this was likely the case also during prehistory. Amongst this prehistoric organic material culture are textiles and cordages, taking advantage of the flexibility and resistance of plant fibres. While in very exceptional cases and under very favourable circumstances, fragments of baskets and cords have survived and were discovered in late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites, these objects are generally not preserved, especially in tropical regions. We report here indirect evidence of basket/tying material making found on stone tools dating to 39-33,000 BP from Tabon Cave, Palawan Philippines. The distribution of use-wear on these artefacts is the same as the distribution observed on experimental tools used to thin fibres, following a technique that is widespread in the region currently. The goal of this activity is to turn hard plant segments into supple strips suitable as tying material or to weave baskets, traps, and even boats. This study shows early evidence of this practice in Southeast Asia and adds to the growing set of discoveries showing that fibre technology was an integral part of late Pleistocene skillset. This paper also provides a new way to identify supple strips of fibres made of tropical plants in the archaeological record, an organic technology that is otherwise most of the time invisible.
PLOS ONE, 2023
A large part of our material culture is made of organic materials, and this was likely the case a... more A large part of our material culture is made of organic materials, and this was likely the case also during prehistory. Amongst this prehistoric organic material culture are textiles and cordages, taking advantage of the flexibility and resistance of plant fibres. While in very exceptional cases and under very favourable circumstances, fragments of baskets and cords have survived and were discovered in late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites, these objects are generally not preserved, especially in tropical regions. We report here indirect evidence of basket/tying material making found on stone tools dating to 39–33,000 BP from Tabon Cave, Palawan Philippines. The distribution of use-wear on these artefacts is the same as the distribution observed on experimental tools used to thin fibres, following a technique that is widespread in the region currently. The goal of this activity is to turn hard plant segments into supple strips suitable as tying material or to weave baskets, traps, and even boats. This study shows early evidence of this practice in Southeast Asia and adds to the growing set of discoveries showing that fibre technology was an integral part of late Pleistocene skillset. This paper also provides a new way to identify supple strips of fibres made of tropical plants in the archaeological record, an organic technology that is otherwise most of the time invisible.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
The presence of notches on European Palaeolithic flaked stone tools termed 'denticulates' has bee... more The presence of notches on European Palaeolithic flaked stone tools termed 'denticulates' has been variously ascribed to cultural, functional and taphonomic factors. In Southeast Asia prehistoric stone tool assemblages are dominated by unretouched flakes, so the rare retouched lithics, including denticulates, can be considered unique testimonies of the intention of the tool makers to control the shape and properties of tool edges. Here we report the results of plant processing experiments with modern unretouched flakes made of red jasper. Splitting plants with the help of a specific hand and arm movement ("twist-of-the-wrist") resulted in a series of use-wear traces that included large crescent-break micro-scars. These are very similar in shape and appearance to the notches of prehistoric denticulated tools. These results suggest that some denticulated pieces in prehistoric Southeast Asia could be less intentional than previously thought, being instead the result of plant processing activities. We also report here the analysis of 41 denticulates from Tabon Cave, Philippines. While some are clearly intentionally retouch, others exhibit use-wear and nocth micro-morphology characteristic of plant splitting. The notches of others result from utilisation and taphonomy or trampling. Altogether, our observations raise the following question: should the term denticulates be restricted to the tools intentionally retouched or encompass all the tools with adjacent notches whatever the origin of the latter is?
Ancient starch research illuminates aspects of human ecology and economic botany that drove human... more Ancient starch research illuminates aspects of human ecology and economic botany that drove human evolution and cultural complexity over time, with a special emphasis on past technology, diet, health, and adaptation to changing environments and socioeconomic systems. However, lapses in prevailing starch research demonstrate the exaggerated expectations for the field that have been generated over the last few decades. This includes an absence of explanation for the millennial-scale sur-vivability of a biochemically degradable polymer, and difficulties in establishing authenticity and taxonomic identification. This paper outlines new taphonomic and authenticity criteria to guide future work toward designing research programs that fully exploit the potential of ancient starch while considering growing demands from readers, editors, and reviewers that look for objective com-positional identification of putatively ancient starch granules.
This paper consisting of three main parts, emphasizes the life experience in the forest and the s... more This paper consisting of three main parts, emphasizes the life experience in the forest and the shared values of the känakan, a children' age group from 3 to 12 years old, in an equalitarian society of the Austronesian world. After describing their daytime physical and cognitive activities in the houses' surroundings, the wilderness, by the river, and in the upland field, we focus on children' exposures and cognitive activities at nighttime. Excerpts from the childhood memories of three Pala'wan collaborators are included. Learning from the forest and learning from the school in the mother tongue brings this paper to a close.
Tropical forests are located in the intertropical zone of the globe and are divided today into th... more Tropical forests are located in the intertropical zone of the globe and are divided today into three distinct blocks: the African block, the American block, and the Southeast Asian block. They show similarities because these blocks were grouped together around 245 million years ago, at the time of the single continent Pangaea, before it started to split around 140 million years ago. The Southeast Asian forest massif nowadays covers the Indian subcontinent, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar on the mainland, and Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea in the archipelagos . This fragmentation into islands has resulted in a very high level of endemism, meaning that some species exist only on specific island(s) and nowhere else in the world as a result of isolation by the sea.
Pleistocene and Holocene lithic assemblages found in Southeast Asia are characterised by simple p... more Pleistocene and Holocene lithic assemblages found in Southeast Asia are characterised by simple production techniques and a paucity of formal stone tools. This situation led some scholars to hypothesise that this situation reflected an adaptation of prehistoric human groups to the rainforest and that these simple stone tools had been mainly used to manufacture more complex implements made of bamboo. Microscopic use traces observed on stone tools could support this hypothesis since many result from plant processing. However, it remains unclear whether these traces were produced by working bamboo or other plants, due to the lack of a suitable use-wear reference collection. To be able to clearly discriminate the use-wear resulting from bamboo processing, such a collection needs to encompass use traces resulting not only from bamboo processing but also from working various other plants, which might potentially have been used by prehistoric groups. We present here the results of a three month field work among Pala'wan communities aiming to know what plants from the forests of Palawan, Philippines are used nowadays, are therefore useful to humans in general and might have been used during the past as well. We recorded the use of 95 different plant species belonging to at least 34 different families. Archaeobotanical studies confirm that some of those plants were available and used by humans in the past while others would have been extant at least in forest refugia, even during glacial periods. Those plants are processed by the Pala'wan at all life stages from seed to dead trees and the parts involved are very diverse. While the most frequent type of use that we witnessed was technological in nature (67 plant species), plants are also used for alimentary, medicinal, ornamental, and sanitary purposes , and even for producing poison. The observations presented here can serve as a basis for use-wear analysts to design experiments in relation to plant exploitation by humans during the past, and to enlarge reference collections. Crown
Analysing residues on stone tools can reveal precise information about the activities that were c... more Analysing residues on stone tools can reveal precise information about the activities that were conducted with the lithic tool and is a valuable technique to reconstruct past human behaviours. However, it is often difficult to assess the nature of the relationship between a residue and the artefact on which it is found. It is of great importance, therefore, to determine whether residues are use-related or a result of contamination. Here, we conducted experiments with 99 tool replicas made of red jasper, processed 15 different plant taxa and mapped the distribution of residues against the use-wear traces. Our experiments addressed several questions on the spatial relationship between use-wear and use-related residues on stone tools. In the majority of cases the residues were not spatially associated with use-wear. Therefore, it appears that residues should not necessarily be considered as non-related to use because they are not in close proximity to use-wear. On the other hand, our experiments also showed that the problem of contamination should not be underestimated and can be a serious cause for misinterpreting stone tool functions. Finally, our results showed a variability in residue distribution between tools used to process different plant taxa and revealed that the water content in the contact material has an influence on residue distribution.
Prehistoric stone tools discovered in Southeast Asia contrast with what is found in the rest of t... more Prehistoric stone tools discovered in Southeast Asia contrast with what is found in the rest of the world: they are simple and their production techniques remained unchanged for millennia. To explain these unique characteristics, some scholars offered what is called the " bamboo hypothesis " : if SE Asian stone tools are simple it would be because they were actually used to manufacture more complex implements made of bamboo. This hypothesis relies on a series of indirect evidence, among which the fact that use-traces occurring on the stone tools result from plant processing. These traces are often interpreted as due to bamboo working although in the absence of an adapted reference collection such a precise diagnosis is impossible to make. A fundamental question remains to be addressed: is it possible to distinguish the working of bamboo from the one of other plants based on the traces they produce? To answer this, we carried out several experiments, grounded on ethnoarchaeological observations, which involved 15 tropical plant taxa, including 3 bamboo genera and conducted microscopic use-wear analysis of the experimental tools. Our results show that the use-wear created by processing mature bamboo is well-developed and can be defined through a set of criteria. Altogether they distinguish bamboo wear from the one produced by other plants, although some overlapping exists. Our results can be used as a reference to which the traces on archaeological stone tools can be compared in order to determine whether they were really used to process bamboo and to what extent.
Prehistoric stone tools discovered in Southeast Asia contrast with what is found in the rest of t... more Prehistoric stone tools discovered in Southeast Asia contrast with what is found in the rest of the world:
they are simple and their production techniques remained unchanged for millennia. To explain these
unique characteristics, some scholars offered what is called the “bamboo hypothesis”: if SE Asian stone
tools are simple it would be because they were actually used to manufacture more complex implements
made of bamboo. This hypothesis relies on a series of indirect evidence, among which the fact that usetraces
occurring on the stone tools result from plant processing. These traces are often interpreted as due
to bamboo working although in the absence of an adapted reference collection such a precise diagnosis is
impossible to make. A fundamental question remains to be addressed: is it possible to distinguish the
working of bamboo from the one of other plants based on the traces they produce? To answer this, we
carried out several experiments, grounded on ethnoarchaeological observations, which involved 15
tropical plant taxa, including 3 bamboo genera and conducted microscopic use-wear analysis of the
experimental tools. Our results show that the use-wear created by processing mature bamboo is welldeveloped
and can be defined through a set of criteria. Altogether they distinguish bamboo wear from
the one produced by other plants, although some overlapping exists. Our results can be used as a
reference to which the traces on archaeological stone tools can be compared in order to determine
whether they were really used to process bamboo and to what extent.
Tjoa-Bonatz M. L., Reinecke A., Bonatz D. (eds.), Crossing Borders, Selected Papers from the 13th International Conference of Southeast Asian Archaeologists, NUS Press, Singapore, 2012
A number of observations suggest that plants have played a major role in the economy of Southeast... more A number of observations suggest that plants have played a major role in the economy of Southeast Asian hunters-gatherers during the Pleistocene. The use of plants and the production of complex and specialized implements made of wood or bamboo has actually been suggested by some archaeologists to explain the apparently simple lithic technology and paucity of formal stone tools in Southeast Asia’s prehistory.
The absence of vegetal artifacts in the archaeological record and at present the lack of a detailed and widespread reference collection of related use traces from lithic assemblages in the region limit the possibility to detect and characterize plant use and prevent the suggested models of prehistoric plant use to be put to the test.
We propose a multi-disciplinary approach for the identification of wear traces resulting from the plants working and for establishing such a reference collection. The method involves ethnoarchaeological fieldwork and experimental archaeology.
Tabon Cave yielded occupation layers spanning from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. Our i... more Tabon Cave yielded occupation layers spanning from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. Our interest focused on the stone artefacts: What can they tell us about the activities that took place in the cave many thousands of years ago? To identify and understand the use damages on archaeological pieces, a series of experiments was conducted, adapted to the tropical environment and to the raw material of many of the artefacts from Tabon. The archaeological material analysis emphasizes the vegetal resources exploitation by prehistoric groups who stayed at Tabon Cave and a short-term use of the tools.
Online Diffusion of Scientific Knowledge by Hermine Xhauflair
Conference Presentations by Hermine Xhauflair
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Papers by Hermine Xhauflair
they are simple and their production techniques remained unchanged for millennia. To explain these
unique characteristics, some scholars offered what is called the “bamboo hypothesis”: if SE Asian stone
tools are simple it would be because they were actually used to manufacture more complex implements
made of bamboo. This hypothesis relies on a series of indirect evidence, among which the fact that usetraces
occurring on the stone tools result from plant processing. These traces are often interpreted as due
to bamboo working although in the absence of an adapted reference collection such a precise diagnosis is
impossible to make. A fundamental question remains to be addressed: is it possible to distinguish the
working of bamboo from the one of other plants based on the traces they produce? To answer this, we
carried out several experiments, grounded on ethnoarchaeological observations, which involved 15
tropical plant taxa, including 3 bamboo genera and conducted microscopic use-wear analysis of the
experimental tools. Our results show that the use-wear created by processing mature bamboo is welldeveloped
and can be defined through a set of criteria. Altogether they distinguish bamboo wear from
the one produced by other plants, although some overlapping exists. Our results can be used as a
reference to which the traces on archaeological stone tools can be compared in order to determine
whether they were really used to process bamboo and to what extent.
The absence of vegetal artifacts in the archaeological record and at present the lack of a detailed and widespread reference collection of related use traces from lithic assemblages in the region limit the possibility to detect and characterize plant use and prevent the suggested models of prehistoric plant use to be put to the test.
We propose a multi-disciplinary approach for the identification of wear traces resulting from the plants working and for establishing such a reference collection. The method involves ethnoarchaeological fieldwork and experimental archaeology.
Online Diffusion of Scientific Knowledge by Hermine Xhauflair
Conference Presentations by Hermine Xhauflair
they are simple and their production techniques remained unchanged for millennia. To explain these
unique characteristics, some scholars offered what is called the “bamboo hypothesis”: if SE Asian stone
tools are simple it would be because they were actually used to manufacture more complex implements
made of bamboo. This hypothesis relies on a series of indirect evidence, among which the fact that usetraces
occurring on the stone tools result from plant processing. These traces are often interpreted as due
to bamboo working although in the absence of an adapted reference collection such a precise diagnosis is
impossible to make. A fundamental question remains to be addressed: is it possible to distinguish the
working of bamboo from the one of other plants based on the traces they produce? To answer this, we
carried out several experiments, grounded on ethnoarchaeological observations, which involved 15
tropical plant taxa, including 3 bamboo genera and conducted microscopic use-wear analysis of the
experimental tools. Our results show that the use-wear created by processing mature bamboo is welldeveloped
and can be defined through a set of criteria. Altogether they distinguish bamboo wear from
the one produced by other plants, although some overlapping exists. Our results can be used as a
reference to which the traces on archaeological stone tools can be compared in order to determine
whether they were really used to process bamboo and to what extent.
The absence of vegetal artifacts in the archaeological record and at present the lack of a detailed and widespread reference collection of related use traces from lithic assemblages in the region limit the possibility to detect and characterize plant use and prevent the suggested models of prehistoric plant use to be put to the test.
We propose a multi-disciplinary approach for the identification of wear traces resulting from the plants working and for establishing such a reference collection. The method involves ethnoarchaeological fieldwork and experimental archaeology.