The Role of Stone Tools in The Evolution of Music: Experimental Archaeology of Lithoacoustics

Music is a universal and uniquely affective phenomenon. Across cultures, it is a foundational component of some our most meaningful experiences. A ubiquitous feature of music is the use of tools; to say humans have a unique capacity for making interesting sounds out of things is a gross understatement. However, despite the wealth of research into our unique noisemaking capabilities, the prehistory of music remains particularly mysterious. The archaeological record is limited in the resolution it currently provides; taphonomic processes are biased against the survival of common materials for music making. The palaeoanthropological record extends our understanding of musical prehistory further but is silent on the evolution of non-vocal music. This thesis argues that one of the most abundant archaeological resources, stone tools, have been underutilized in the drive to locate music, especially musical tools, in the past. Chapter 1 introduces the theoretical basis for this argument using a wide range of interdisciplinary data. Chapter 2 details the experimental archaeological methodologies used to quantitatively explore the acoustic affordances of lithic technology, discussing their advantages and limitations. Chapters 3,4 and 5 comprise the bulk of the thesis. These are a series of interlinked experiments presented as separate research papers. Chapter 3 explores, in detail, the acoustics of knapping in an early Palaeolithic context. It also presents a novel preference test, investigating the perceptions of modern listeners to the sounds of stone tool making. Chapters 4 and 5 explore the role sound plays in the tool making process for novice knappers by analysing replicated assemblages. Chapter 4 investigates knappers on their own; chapter 5 uses groups of toolmakers to explore the role of sound in social contexts. Finally, chapter 6 is a general discussion bringing lessons learned across the 3 experiments together and looking onwards to new experimental possibilities in the field of Palaeolithic lithoacoustics.