THE language archaeologists use to describe their finds is frequently lively, but not always helpful when it comes to comparing artefacts. Stone hand axes, for example, might be described as “pear-shaped” or “drop-like” – but more refined descriptions could capture small variations that speak volumes about the cultures that produced these objects.
Precise measurements might bring some rigour to the process – or rather, they would if archaeologists could ensure they orient objects the same way every time they take such measurements. But since artefacts are often highly asymmetrical, they usually can’t. The result is measurements that reflect the variation between…
