1.
Institute of Prehistoric Archeology, University of Cologne, Bernhard-Feilchenfeld-Str. 11, 50969 Köln, Germany
2.
Institute of Computer Science, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 1, 06120 Halle, Germany
3.
Institut für Prähistorische Archäologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Fabeckstr. 23-25, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Description
PyREnArA(Python-R-Environment for Artifact Analysis) is a code for half-automated, trait-based recording of morphological properties of (stone-)artifacts and the statistical evaluation of the recorded properties. PyREnArA, as the name says, is written both in Python and R. It is specialized for the analysis of paleolithic projectile points depicted in drawings or photographs. It provides traditional and new information on artifact morphology, customized for the implemented statistical methods, which allow for quantitative analyses of morphological change and to statistically determine the amount of variation that correlates with the progress of time or with the geographical position. In doing so, it provides insight into material culture evolution far beyond traditional typology. However, as completely independent analytical system, it is not intended to substitute typological research, but rather to complement it and to provide new perspectives on the archaeological record, which are otherwise invisible. The recording system, on which PyREnArA is based on, has been developed over several semesters in seminars with students from the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg and the University of Cologne. The coding was done by Robin John, Florian Linsel and Dr. Georg Roth.
Notes
Note: this is a newer version of PyREnArA than we used in the recently submitted paper Maier et al. 2023. This new version rounds the metrical data for width and length to integer value, whereas we used floating point numbers with one decimal point in the publication. Therefor the results in the RDA differ slightly.
Literature for figures used:
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Otte, M. (1981). Le Gravettien en Europe Centrale (Dissertationes Archaeologicae Gandenses 20). De
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Dolní Věstonice:
Klíma, B. (1963). Dolní Věstonice: výzkum tábořiště lovců mamutů v letech 1947-1952 (Unter-
Wisternitz. Die Erforschung des Lagerplatzes der Mammutjäger 1947-1952). Nakl. Československé
akademie věd.
Grub/Kranawetberg:
Photographs by Walpurga Antl-Weiser.
Jarošov II:
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Novák, M. (2008). Flint and radiolarite assemblages: technology and typology. In J. Svoboda (Ed.),
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142). Brno.
Predmostí:
Absolon, K., & Klíma, B. (1977). Predmostí: ein Mammutjägerplatz in Mähren. Fontes Archaeologiae
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Willendorf:
Felgenhauer F. (1959). Willendorf in der Wachau. Monographie der Paläolith-Fundstellen I-VII.
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