Typology and the Concept of Curation

A Study of Transverse Arrowheads of the Late Scandinavian Mesolithic

Abstract

The aims and goals of the article are to discuss how typology can be misleading in the study of archaeological artefacts. The discussion is exemplified using transverse arrowheads in the late Scandinavian Mesolithic. One contemporary, and often accepted, typology of transverse arrowheads is presented along with a summary of typological development and debates. The concept of curation, first introduced by L. Binford in the 1970s, is discussed and taken into consideration when examining transverse arrowheads from two Late Mesolithic sites in Scania, southern Sweden. Finally, a small-scale experiment including mounting and reworking a transverse arrowhead was conducted. Against the background of the typological debate and the concept of curation, the results of the experiment are discussed and compared to the archaeological record from the two sites.