The African Origin of Complex Projectile Technology: An Analysis Using Tip Cross-Sectional Area and Perimeter

Table 2

African MSA samples compared to ethnographic arrowheads and dart tips by independent sample 𝑡-tests. *𝑝<.05; **𝑝<.01; ***𝑝<.001; n.s.: the two samples cannot be distinguished with 95% confidence; var: point estimated with the triangular measure, but using the rhomboid measure changes the result.

Industry	N	Mean TCSA	Mean TCSP	Versus arrowheads		Versus dart tips
				TCSA	TCSP	TCSA	TCSP
KRM MSA I: triangular flakes	71	167.98	72.68	***	***	***	***
KRM MSA II lower: triangular flakes	528	216.77	77.66	***	***	***	***
KRM MSA II upper: triangular flakes	298	180.33	70.51	***	***	***	***
South African Stillbay points	203	144.64	57.73	***	***	***	***
Blombos Cave Stillbay points	239	142.85	56.65	***	***	***	***
Porc Epic bifacial points	94	103.29	50.25	***	***	***	n.s.
Porc Epic unifacial points	306	88.43	50.93	***	***	***	*, var
Aterian tanged points: Aoulef	4	81.13	54.76	***	***	*	n.s.
Aterian tanged points: Asriouel	46	103.46	56.76	***	***	***	***
Aterian tanged points: Azrag	18	85.28	52.02	***	***	**	n.s.
Aterian tanged points: Izouzaden	12	170.83	70.33	***	***	***	***
Aterian tanged points: Bir El Ater	41	124.28	63.66	***	***	***	***
All Aterian tanged points	124	116.38	60.02	***	***	***	***