Bits and pieces: Lithic waste products as indicators of Acheulean behaviour at Attirampakkam, India

Inferences on short or long term trends in Acheulean behaviour are primarily derived from studies of lithic chaîne opératoires. With a predominant focus on bifaces and cores, few studies discuss in depth, components of lithic waste products, significant in informing on aspects of technology, skills, transmission of knowledge, or behavioural organisation at site and landscape scales. Here, we present perspectives on Acheulean behaviour focusing on lithic waste arising from debitage and façonnage sequences. We draw on excavated assemblages from the Early Pleistocene site of Attirampakkam, India, currently the oldest Acheulean site in South Asia, supplemented by our experimental studies to replicate this technology. The assemblage reflects a fragmented reduction sequence, with transport of large flakes and partially shaped tools to Attirampakkam, from 'quarry sites' located in proximity to raw material sources, followed by later stages in the on-site façonnage of handaxes, primarily on large flake blanks. Acheulean behaviour at this site reflects geographic awareness, planning depths, and strategies adopted in anticipation of raw material scarcity at the site. Conservation of raw material and time is indicated by the utilisation and retouch of suitable waste flakes including biface shaping/thinning flakes into small flake tools, indicating multiple uses of handaxes as both tools and 'cores'. This behaviour occurs along with individual knapping errors denoting lack of adequate control or ability/intention to rectify problems, persisting through time. There is also sparse evidence for intentional platform faceting. Despite assemblage variability through time, we observe technological stasis over this thick Early Pleistocene sequence.