Abstract

While undergoing archaeological fieldwork in Ileret, Kenya, two Early Holocene (10,000-6,000 BP) sites are found containing bone harpoons. The purpose of this study is to examine the style of Early Holocene bone harpoons to see if people of East Lake Turkana were making similar or different bone harpoon styles within social groups. For methods, bone harpoon measurements are used to run Student T Tests to see if there is a difference for the bone harpoon styles between the two sites. An experimental replication of a bone harpoon provides insight on how the learning process of an object can influence style. Theoretical perspectives on group and personal identity are applied to the Ileret bone harpoons. The statistical results state the two sites had no statistical difference between the styles of bone harpoons. Because of the consistent form, I am inclined to believe that the Early Holocene fisher/hunter gatherers are making the bone harpoons in a group setting within each site and most likely shared ideas. The conclusions to take away from this study focus on how group membership can influence style and the production of objects. In a larger scope, these northeastern Lake Turkana bone harpoon styles can offer information about the variations of bone harpoon styles found in East Africa.