Palaeolithic Reflections: Lithic Technology and Ethnographic Excavation Among Australian Aborigines by Brian Hayden (1979)

Author:
Brian Hayden

Publisher:
Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies; Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, 1979
Series: AIAS New Series ; No. 5
ISBN: 0855750758 
Format: Softcover, viii + 181 pages, illustrated with diagrams, graphs, maps
Condition: Good – crease to back cover

Description:
This landmark publication offers the first systematic and richly illustrated study of how Australian Aboriginal people in the Western Desert manufactured and used stone tools in recent times. Brian Hayden combines ethnographic fieldwork with archaeological excavation, documenting the morphology, production, and practical use of various lithic tools.

The final section of the book is especially compelling: two Pintupi men return with Hayden to their former desert campsites to excavate and interpret the remains, bridging cultural memory with archaeological analysis. Their insights shed light on accumulation patterns, debris dispersal, and tool-use behaviors, forming an invaluable reference for both prehistorians and ethnographers.

Why You’ll Love It:
A fascinating convergence of archaeology and living memory, this book uniquely situates Indigenous knowledge within the framework of scientific inquiry. Ideal for researchers, students, and collectors interested in stone tool technology, Aboriginal cultural heritage, and Western Desert ethnography.