Transformation and Sustainability Within Levallois Reduction Strategy of Sürmecik, Western Anatolia/Aegean

Surmecik, which today has the largest collection in Turkey with 86,246 lithics, is a Paleolithic open-air site located in Western Anatolia/Aegean discovered by chance approximately 5 m below the surface. This paper focuses on the Levallois flaking strategy (555 cores and 2627 endproducts). The material offers such a degree of diversity that certain opposites can clearly highlighted and cannot characterized as a single model of technical behavior. It reflects that knappers produce conforms to the Levallois Volumetric Concept, but in some cases also a flexible production. The sustainability of the Levallois seen - as an option - may have resulted in a possible solution to the needs by using either the flake, the core, or a combination of both. These observations are discussed in the context of formulations of technical behavior and this paper is a pioneer in its field by creating one of the comprehensive studies on Levallois technology in Turkey.

Automated summary

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the Levallois technology in Turkey, focusing on the analysis of cores and endproducts. It reveals that knappers demonstrate a flexible production approach based on the Levallois Volumetric Concept, providing possible solutions to meet their needs.