Publications
In Press
Eren, Metin I., A.G. Greenspan, and C.G. Sampson. Are Upper Paleolithic Blade Cores More Productive Than Middle Paleolithic Discoidal Cores? A Replication Experiment. Journal of Human Evolution.
Eren, Metin I. "Paleoindian Stability During the Younger Dryas in the North American Lower Great Lakes," in Transitions in Prehistory: Papers in Honor of Ofer Bar-Yosef. Edited by John Shea and Daniel Lieberman. Harvard University American School of Prehistoric Research Press.
2008
Eren, Metin I. and Mary E. Prendergast. "Comparing and Synthesizing Lithic Reduction Indices," in Lithic Technology: Measures of Production Use and Curation. Edited by Wve illiam Andrefsky, Jr., pp 49-85. University of Cambridge Press.
Willis, Lauren M., Metin I. Eren, Torben C. Rick. "Does Butchering Fish Leave Cutmarks?" Journal of Archaeological Science 35(5): 1438-1444. [PDF]
2006
Eren, Metin I. The Paleo Crossing (33-ME-274) Non-Projectile Point Biface Assemblage. Current Research in the Pleistocene 23: 95-97. [PDF]
Eren, Metin I. Comment on "The Missing Mousterian" by H. Dibble and S. McPherron. Current Anthropology 47(5):787-788. [PDF]
2005
Eren, Metin I., Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo, Ian Le, Daniel S. Adler, Steven L. Kuhn, and Ofer Bar-Yosef. Defining and Measuring Reduction in Unifacial Scrapers. Journal of Archaeological Science 32(8): 1190-1201. [PDF]
Eren, Metin I., Brian G. Redmond, and Mark A. Kollecker. Unifacial Stone Tool Analyses from the Paleo Crossing SIte (33-ME-274), Ohio. Current Research in the Pleistocene 22:43-45. [PDF]
2004
Eren, Metin I., Brian G. Redmond, and Mark A. Kollecker. The Paleo Crossing (33-ME-274) Fluted Point Assemblage. Current Research in the Pleistocene 21: 38-39. [PDF]
Eren, Metin I. and Mark A. Kollecker. Data on the Post-Paleoindian Projectile Point Assemblage from the Paleo Crossing Site (33-ME-274). Ohio Archaeologist 54(2): 10-11. [PDF] (The press made some mistakes in this article)
Conference Posters
2008
Scanlon, Brian and Metin I. Eren. "Hey... Psssst... Did You Hear...?" Some Thoughts on Archaeological Rumors. Poster to be Presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract: What is the difference between an untested hypothesis, a paradigm, and a rumor? How do research rumors become entrenched into the field as fact? Are rumors actually harmful to the field, or can they be helpful for research? This lighthearted poster examines a number of “archaeological rumors” from numerous time periods and material culture mediums, and looks for common trends among them in the hopes of understanding how rumors get proposed, spread, and eventually presented as fact.
2007
Willis, Lauren M., Metin I. Eren, and Torben C. Rick. Experiments in Fish-Butchering: Implications for Bone Modification and Taphonomy. Poster Presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Austin, Texas, USA.
Abstract: Cutmarks are rarely observed on fishbone excavated from archaeological sites, although ethnographic studies describe various butchering techniques for immediate consumption and fish drying. Previous studies have failed to determine whether the dearth of cutmarks is a result of butchering practices, fish anatomy, taphonomic processes, or a combination of variables. In this study, commonly identified species from a variety of coastal settings were butchered according to ethnographic techniques using both stone and metal tools. The results of this study have implications for understanding ancient butchering practices, taphonomy, and the interpretation of coastal and other aquatic faunal assemblages. [JPEG]
Conference Papers/Presentations
2008
Eren, M.I. Flintknapping and Lithic Technology. 2-Day Invited Flintknapping Demonstration at the World Archaeology Congress, Dublin, Ireland.
Eren, Metin I. Paleoindian Unifacial Tool Reduction at Paleo Crossing, Ohio: Edge Morphometrics Via Reduction Indices.” Manuscript presented in the symposium “Advances in Lithic Morphometrics (Organized by Erik Otarola-Castillo) at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (No abstract)
Eren, Metin I. A Comparison of Lower Great Lakes and New England Environmental Change and Paleoindian Responses During the Younger Dryas. Manuscript to be Presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract: Despite rapid climate change during the Younger Dryas (YD), it has been suggested that environmental changes in the Lower Great Lakes were variable and, in some cases, gradual. Given the flexible cultural adaptations and high mobility of Paleoindians, there is no reason to expect dramatic cultural responses, and a recent survey of the Paleoindian literature in the Lower Great Lakes suggests that this was indeed the case. This paper expands this analysis by examining the YD pollen and archaeological records of New England, and exploring whether or not Paleoindian cultural adaptations (i.e. artifact types, lithic procurement, site size/geography) co-vary with climatic/environmental changes.
2007
Eren, Metin I. and Aaron Greenspan. A Cutting-Edge Experiment: Quantifying and Comparing Cutting Edge Amount from Lithic Blade and Flake Production. Manuscript Presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Austin, Texas, USA.
Abstract: Some Paleolithic/Paleoindian scholars assume that more cutting edge per mass is produced by manufacturing blades rather than flakes. Alternatively, recent scholarship argues that rather than being more efficient, blade technology is actually wasteful of raw material. These debates mean little without experimental confirmation cited as evidence. This paper presents a series of experimental results comparing the amount of lithic cutting edge per blade and flake reduction using direct percussion. This paper also presents a new and accurate methodology for quantifying lithic cutting edge using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator that was applied to over 600 blanks manufactured from 6 cores.
Nolan, Kevin C., Mark A. Kollecker, Metin I. Eren, Jacob E. Deppen. Experiments in Prismatic Blade Production: Lessons for Archaeological Interpretation. Manuscript Presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Austin, Texas, USA.
Abstract: Blades and blade-cores are nearly ubiquitous on Ohio Hopewell sites. The degree of skill required for blade production has played a role in interpretations of Hopewell settlement patterns (e.g., Cowan 2006); however, the level of skill required for their production is debated. We attempt to assess how variations in skill/experience level are reflected in quantitative and qualitative variability in the assemblage. Additionally, we compare our experimental blades to those from archaeological contexts to gain insights into time requirements for blade production, probable removal techniques employed, and formation processes associated with Hopewell blade assemblages.
Eren, Metin I. Paleoindian Stability During the Younger Dryas in the North American Lower Great Lakes. Manuscript presented at the Festschrift for Ofer Bar-Yosef, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract: The Younger Dryas chronozone (11,000 – 10,000 year B.P.) is perceived as a time of widespread and dramatic climate change during the late Pleistocene. For this reason, certain forager behavioral/technological adaptations may be expected to co-vary with different environmental conditions during this time period. However despite the general acceptance of Paleoindian “phases” delineated by well-known projectile point types in the lower Great Lakes region during the Younger Dryas, this paper demonstrates a lack of significant change in Paleoindian behavioral/technological adaptations. In this paper I present pollen data collected from 60 sites and archaeological data collected from over 30 sites to question whether Paleoindian changes should even be expected during the Younger Dryas. Possible reasons are then examined for the apparent stability through what is generally thought to be a rapid and severe climatic and environmental period.
2006
Eren, Metin I. and Mary E. Prendergast. The Reduction Rumble! A Comparison of Reduction Values, Means, and Ranges. Manuscript presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Winner of 2006 SAA Student Paper Award.
Abstract: Intensity of stone tool reduction has important implications for understanding hominid behavior, tool use and modification, mobility, and land use. There are a variety of reduction indices available to the lithic analyst. While each has strengths and weaknesses, different index values obtained on the same stone tools do not necessarily correlate with each other. Vastly different interpretations of an assemblage may be made depending on the analyst’s choice of reduction index. In this paper we demonstrate this point by presenting different reduction indices calculated for both an experimental assemblage and a sample from the La Colombiere Perigordian assemblage.
2005
Eren, Metin I., Brian G. Redmond, and Mark A. Kollecker. More Than Just "Trianguloid": Understanding Paleoindian Scraper Diversity and Typology at the Paleo Crossing Site. Manuscript presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Abstract: Research into North American Paleoindian lithic technologies tends to focus on projectile point analysis, often using projectile point diversity to determine geographical and/or temporal boundaries. Larger components of Paleoindian lithic assemblages, such as scrapers, often get divided into large, unwieldy categories such as “unifacial,” “bifacial,” or “trianguloid.” This paper demonstrates the large diversity of Paleoindian scraper types from the Paleo Crossing site through the construction of an original Paleoindian scraper typology. In addition to introducing some extremely interesting and possibly diagnostic Paleoindian scraper types, the application of the typology to raw material usage has far-reaching implications for the occupational status of the Paleo Crossing site.
2004
Eren, Metin I. and Brian G. Redmond. The North American Upper Paleolithic? Applying an Upper Paleolithic Typology to the Paleo Crossing Uniface Assemblage. Manuscript presented at the 69th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract: Numerous archaeologists throughout the twentieth century have compared Paleoindian stone tools to European Upper Paleolithic stone tool assemblages. Paleo Crossing (33-ME-274) is an early Paleoindian site in Medina County, Ohio with over 450 unifaces, of which 216 have been measured and described so far. In an attempt to frame Paleo Crossing within the European Upper Paleolithic, a standard Paleolithic typology has been applied to the uniface assemblage as one aspect of description. The application of an Old World typology to a New World lithic assemblage is not only an interesting exercise, but has profound implications for the interpretation of Paleo Crossing.