Articles by Ambra Burani

As an example of pattern recognition problems in prehistory, the authors present two different kinds of classification (unsupervised and supervised) applied to a sample of common Upper Paleolithic tools: the end-scrapers of Grotta Polesini, coming from layer 1 and layer C12. The results, obtained through the use of statistical techniques, led to a general conclusion: in building a typology more attention should be given to functional considerations and to a deep understanding of behavioural patterns on a more local scale. The traditional prehistoric typological lists are therefore criticised, as they are often too general and too much oriented towards large scale comparisons in space and time.