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Antoine Muller | The Institute of Archaeology
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Antoine Muller

AntoineM
Antoine
Muller
antoine.muller@mail.huji.ac.il
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Dissertation Subject:

My PhD work explores the techno-morphological variability of handaxes in the later Acheulean of the southern Levant with a novel suite of objective, repeatable, and automatic computational 3D methods for quantifying handaxe edges (angles, relative length, transverse asymmetry, and concavity), 3D sinuosity (waviness and roughness), and 3D asymmetry (volumetric and bifacial). The degree and nature of handaxe techno-morphological variability during the Acheulean is a much-debated topic. Competing research conceives of the period as either technologically dynamic, with temporal trends and spatial idiosyncrasies, or as technologically stable and conservative. The seemingly intentional shape and symmetry imposed on handaxes throughout the Acheulean makes handaxe techno-morphological variability important for understanding Acheulean hominin decision making, technological skills, cognition, and cultural evolution. Additional research interests include computational methods for the analysis of a range of lithic artifacts and other material remains. Other work involves experimental investigations into the evolution of lithic technology, with a particular emphasis on standardisation, efficiency, skill, and cognition.

Supervisors: Prof. Leore Grosman and Prof. Gonen Sharon

Publications:

  • Muller A, Barsky D, Sala-Ramos R, Sharon G, Titton S, Vergès J-M, Grosman L. 2023. The limestone spheroids of ‘Ubeidiya: intentional imposition of symmetric geometry by early hominins? Royal Society Open Science, 10: 230671.
  • Muller A, Shipton C, Clarkson C. 2023. The proceduralization of knapping skill throughout the Palaeolithic: memorising different lithic technologies. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 33(4): 655-672.
  • Muller A and Clarkson C. 2023. Filling in the blanks: standardization of lithic flake production throughout the Stone Age. Lithic Technology, 48(3): 222-236.
  • Brami M, Emra S, Muller A, Preda-Balanica B, Irvine B, Milic B, Malago A, Meheux K, Fernandez-Gotz M. 2023. A precarious future: reflections from a survey of early career researchers in archaeology. European Journal of Archaeology, 26(2): 226-250.
  • Muller A, Shipton C, Clarkson C. 2022. Stone toolmaking difficulty and the evolution of hominin technological skills. Scientific Reports 12: 5883.
  • Grosman L, Muller A, Dag I, Goldgeier H, Harush O, Herzlinger G, Nebenhaus K, Valetta F, Yashuv T, Dick N. 2022. Artifact3-D: new software for accurate, objective and efficient 3D analysis and documentation of archaeological artifacts. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0268401.
  • Muller A, Barkai R, Shemer M, Grosman L. 2022. 3D morphology of handaxes from late Acheulean Jaljulia: a flexible reduction strategy in the Lower Paleolithic Levant, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 14: 206.
  • Sharon G, Muller A, Gubenko N. 2022. In search of the Acheulian site of Ma’ayan Barukh. Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society 52: 6-31.
  • Muller A. 2021. The ongoing search for the origins of cumulative culture. Comment on Vaesen K and Houkes W, Is human culture cumulative? Current Anthropology 62(2): 226-227.
  • Brami M, Emra S, Kolář J, Malagó A, Milić B, Muller A, Preda B. 2020. Interviews of recently-tenured academics in Northern Europe: comments on career paths in academic archaeology and some advice for young scholars. The European Archaeologist 65(3): 18-28.
  • Muller A, Clarkson C, Baird D, Fairbairn A. 2018. Reduction intensity of backed blades: blank consumption, regularity and efficiency at the early Neolithic site of Boncuklu, Turkey. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 21: 721-732.
  • Muller A, Clarkson C, Shipton C. 2017. Measuring behavioural and cognitive complexity in lithic technology throughout human evolution. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 48: 166-180.
  • Muller A and Clarkson C. 2016. Identifying major transitions in the evolution of lithic cutting edge production rates. PLoS ONE, 11(12): e0167244.
  • Muller A and Clarkson C. 2016. A new method for accurately and precisely measuring flake platform area. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 8: 178-186.
  • Muller A and Clarkson C. 2014. Estimating original flake mass on blades using 3D platform area: problems and prospects. Journal of Archaeological Science, 52: 31-38.

Member of the Computational Archaeology Laboratory

Graduate Students Ph.D. Students