Rational Copying

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Technology has evolved in many ways in the human past, which has been suggested through the archaeological records and evidence. Some of the technologies that have evolved include the lithic tools, such as the cores, flakes and Acheulean hand-axe. There have been case studies done on Tasmanian tools, which suggest how their technology has evolved in the human past. The human past played a role in evolving these technologies through cultural transmission, genetic transmission, info-copying and many more. There have been several ways in which technology has evolved in the human past.
Archaeologists such as Jordan (2015, p. 1) suggest that “people tend not to invent such … technologies for themselves through personal trial and error”. This suggestion …show more content…

Rational copying refers to info-copying, which involves the “copying only the behavioral outcomes of another’s individual behaviour” (Lycett 2015, p. 393). This allows local enhancements to come into play, as individuals would observe other’s techniques in knapping, as well as producing the Acheulean hand-axe. The technology of the cores, flakes and hand-axes would have been produced and passed down through copying and observing other knappers skills and technique. By doing so, it allowed the individual to begin with the basic knowledge of the copying hominin’s skills in producing the technology. However, it was possible that these technologies could evolve from cores and flakes into hand-axes, as they would have been slightly changed to adapt to their surroundings and …show more content…

The older people’s knowledge of the technology, such as making the core and flakes would be ‘prestigious’ and ‘skilled’. They would have lived for much longer and thus have a better understanding of which materials to use to create these technologies. In addition, it was suggested that the apprentice was more likely to remember how to produce these technology, if they were told the person was the boss. They often learnt it through visual fixation, where they would often stare and observe the other’s

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