ABSTRACT
This paper presents results of a shape analysis conducted on lithic Solutrean points from the Iberian Peninsula. By using SECANTO, a computer application especially designed for this purpose, the variability of shapes between and within selected Solutrean point types is explored and discussed. Shape has always been considered an important variable in the analysis of prehistoric lithic Solutrean points, namely in typological approaches. However, besides being rarely objectified and quantifiably measured, little effort has been made to understand interrelation between morphology and techniques applied during production processes, or the effects of use-life on the artefacts’ shape. The study investigates these interrelations and demonstrates the potential of an objectified computational approach of shape analysis. The analysis can be used to identify and explore methodological problems in existing typologies as well as to set up new models on shape variability in lithic tools.
