EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY ARCHAEOLOGY

Abstract

This study explores the scientific and methodological significance of experimental archaeology in the techno-typological analysis of Paleolithic lithic industries, with particular emphasis on flint-knapping experiments as a means to enhance analytical rigor. Employing the frameworks of reduction sequences and chaine opératoire, it demonstrates how experimental approaches elucidate the production, utilization, and transformation of stone tools. The article further considers the evolutionary trajectory of Paleolithic lithic technology and the integral role of stone tools in shaping ho-minin socio-economic and subsistence strategies, thereby highlighting the contribution of experimental data to understanding adaptive behavior and technological sophistication. Theoretical under-pinnings, including methodological uniformitarianism and notions of internal and external validity, are critically examined within the context of contemporary scholarship. Moreover, the integration of experimental archaeology with traceological analyses, neuroarchaeology, and cognitive archaeology provides novel insights into the interplay between technical skill, motor execution, and cognitive planning in lithic production. The study also assesses the institutionalization of experimental methodologies in contemporary Azerbaijani Paleolithic research and their empirical outcomes. Overall, experimental archaeology is presented as a robust analytical framework that transcends mere replication, enabling rigorous interpretation of hominin behavioral and technological evolution.