Let the Chips Fall Where They May: Evaluating the Impact and Effectiveness of Video Resources for Knowledge Transfer in Flint Knapping

• Main Author: John Kiernan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EXARC 2020-11-01
• Series: EXARC Journal
• Subjects: flint knapping; newest era; digitalization; methods and techniques; teaching
• Online Access: https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10543

Knowledge and know-how: The ‘how’ of knowledge transferal continues to be a question in prehistoric archaeology, especially in relation to early hominid development. Has the transferal process been greatly affected by our so-called modern world and its technological advantages? Have the current modes of communication enhanced and eased the transfer of knowledge? As visualization is a key element in the transferal process, has, or can, live-streaming videos and or DVDs augment and/or replace face-to-face instruction? Using flint knapping as a platform for exploration, the question “can prerecorded video lessons be successful in the transfer of knowledge of flint knapping and assist in know-how development in the craft” is addressed in this paper. 28 prerecorded videos (consisting of over 30 hours of running time), both in the form of DVD and internet streaming sources, are placed head-to-head, contrasted and scrutinized against a standardized criterion in order to determine their efficiency in transferring knowledge.