Fig. 5: Early Oldowan technology.
From: Early Oldowan technology thrived during Pliocene environmental change in the Turkana Basin, Kenya
A Principal components analysis of major technological features of several of the earliest stone tool industries currently known (Supplementary Data 6, 7). PCA scores were used to calculate a K-means cluster analysis. The shaded polygons (convex hulls) are the results of this K-means cluster analysis. In addition to early archeological assemblages, we include here assemblages made unintentionally by both Capuchins (SCNP33) and long-tailed macaques (Lobi Bay9). B The analysis of eigenvectors indicates that most Oldowan (and primate) assemblages are distinguished from Lomekwi by their smaller size and relative infrequency of cores. Most early Oldowan assemblages cluster together based on the relative size of flakes compared to cores. C Technological variables describing core forms analyzed from 3D models of cores (See “Methods”). Boxplots represent the interquartile range of data. Whiskers represent the upper and lower quartile.; In numerous variables the Namorotukunan assemblage is similar to early Oldowan ( > 2.0 Ma) assemblages but significantly different from the Lomekwi 3 assemblage as well as the later Oldowan and early Acheulean assemblages (Supplementary Figs. 9, 10, 11).
