Lithic miniaturization is a multivariate and evolutionarily significant technological phenomenon involving backed tools, bladelets, small retouched tools, flakes, and small cores. This paper investigates the proximate causes for variability in lithic miniaturization processes during Marine Isotope Stage 2 (c. 29–12 ka) in southern Africa. We test the hypothesis that lithic miniaturization represents a form of adaptive behavior by examining its relationship to site occupation intensity and rainfall seasonality at Boomplaas Cave in South Africa. These are two widely cited explanations for shifts in the organization of hunter-gatherer technologies and the data required for testing them are also readily available. We combine several lithic variables, macrofauna and microfauna indicators, and other archeological data to test the hypotheses. We find evidence that demographic processes impacted choices of technology within contexts of shifting rainfall seasonality, aridity, and rapidly rising Late Glacial sea-levels. In this context, Late Glacial humans converged on a small number of high payoff strategies including technological efficiency through bipolar bladelet production, greater production of ostrich eggshell ornaments and water containers, and a reorganized subsistence strategy targeting lower yield small mammals. The results demonstrate that lithic miniaturization was a strategic choice rather than an inevitable technological outcome. The outcomes have implications for understanding global instances of lithic miniaturization and their relationship to rapidly shifting paleoenvironments.

中文翻译：

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以石化微型化为适应策略：南非Boomplaas Cave的案例研究

锂小型化是一种多变量且具有进化意义的技术现象，涉及支持工具，刀片，小型修饰工具，薄片和小核。本文研究了南部非洲海洋同位素第2阶段（约29-12 ka）中岩石微型化过程变异的最接近原因。我们通过检查其与南非Boomplaas洞穴中的场地占用强度和降雨季节之间的关系，检验了石块微型化代表一种适应性行为的假设。这是有关猎人-采集器技术组织变化的两种被广泛引用的解释，并且测试它们所需的数据也很容易获得。我们结合了几个岩性变量，大型动物和小型动物指标以及其他考古数据来检验假设。我们发现有证据表明，人口变化过程在降雨季节变化，干旱和冰川晚期海平面迅速上升的背景下影响了技术的选择。在这种情况下，晚期冰川人类汇聚了少量的高收益策略，包括通过双极小叶片生产提高技术效率，增加鸵鸟蛋壳装饰品和水容器的生产量以及针对产量较低的小型哺乳动物的重组生存策略。结果表明，石化微型化是一种战略选择，而不是不可避免的技术成果。这些结果对于理解石器微型化的全球实例及其与快速变化的古环境的关系具有启示意义。