Lithic Technology and Ritualistic Use: Analysis of Cores at HOR-1 Pyre Cremation Assemblage

My independent research was conducted at the African Paleoscience Lab of NYU. The abstract is provided below with the link to the full downloadable paper (17 pages). It has also been submitted to the Regeneron STS Science Competition. 

The Hora Mountain site (HOR-1) in Malawi contains Africa's earliest known cremation,

dated to 11-12 ka, providing a unique opportunity to examine the intersection of technology and

ritual behavior in early Holocene hunter-gatherers. This study analyzed 142 quartz cores from

excavated pyre deposits to investigate whether lithic technology varied systematically in relation

to mortuary activity. Cores were measured for mass and dimensional attributes using digital

calipers and precision scales, then categorized by stratigraphic context (above-ash, within-ash

with remains, within-ash without remains, and below-ash). Analysis revealed patterning:

miniaturized, exhausted cores concentrated within cremation deposits containing human remains,

while substantially larger specimens occurred in above-ash contexts, with significant mass

differences (15.81g vs. 0.58g). Consistent bipolar reduction techniques throughout the sequence

indicate technological continuity across multiple cremation events. The deliberate placement of

functional tools within mortuary contexts represents economic investment in ritual practice, as

useful objects were removed from circulation. These findings challenge traditional

interpretations of African hunter-gatherers as purely nomadic groups with simple social

structures, instead demonstrating that Late Pleistocene communities created persistent ritual

places where technological and symbolic behaviors converged. The HOR-1 assemblage provides

empirical evidence that stone tool technology served dual practical and cultural functions,

transforming everyday objects into vehicles for memory, identity, and meaning in early African

societies.