Extensive research has been conducted into cumulative culture; however, whether its evolutionary origins leans more toward learned social or individual cognitive abilities remains contested. The...Show moreExtensive research has been conducted into cumulative culture; however, whether its evolutionary origins leans more toward learned social or individual cognitive abilities remains contested. The aim of this thesis is to further the process of identifying the relation between social and individual cognitive abilities during the emergence of cumulative culture within human evolution. More specifically, at the Lower Palaeolithic site of Dmanisi, Georgia (approximately 1.8 mya), where the earliest Homo remains were discovered outside Africa. This is attempted by means of the stepwise framework developed by Stout et al. (2019). Here, its use is aimed at differentiating variation in learning mechanisms within the Oldowan lithic assemblages found at Dmanisi. The results of the lithic analysis failed to provide evidence for behaviour copying due to limitations in available data. This results in two possible scenarios that may explain the patterns seen in the assemblage. (1) The Hominins at Dmanisi may have continuously reinvented lithic technologies lacking the ability to retain specific behaviours in the population over large periods of time. There is a high degree of variability in behaviour copying across the spatiotemporal dimension during the Lowerpalaeolithic. (2) The Hominins at Dmanisi did possess the cognitive abilities for behaviour copying. This would suggest the technological tendencies in the lithic analysis are indicative of a more uniform emergence of cumulative culture. Finally, suggestions are provided to investigate the presence of behaviour copying at Dmanisi with higher accuracy.Show less
