The goal is to look at whether the same style of lithic tools portray similar or different uses and if specialized crafts shifted the technological designs in lithic production. Through this analysis, the main uses of the lithic tools at Blydefontein Rock shelter can be determined, including if they were used in the production of ostrich eggshell beads. By achieving this goal, the spread of the lithic technological organization and production of beads in surrounding sites can be identified. Patterns of technological organization will be observed by comparing the Blydefontein Rock Shelter assemblages to the experimental assemblages and an additional archaeological assemblage from Meerkat Rock Shelter. Through this nontraditional usewear analysis which implements a laser confocal microscope, scanning electron microscope, digital microscope, and micro-CT scanner, the following questions will be answered:

1. Do the lithic tools provide insight to the lifestyle and daily activities of the inhabitants?
2. Is there evidence of tools being used to produce ostrich eggshell beads from Blydefontein Rock Shelter?
3. Are the production traces still visible if there are wear traces on the lithic tools?
4. What if flaking on tools considered as retouch is not caused by production, but by use?
5. Were tools hafted and if so, how might they have been hafted?
6. Are there indications that certain tools were used expediently or intensively maintained? How are traces on lithic tools differentiated to identify extractive tools from maintenance tools?
7. Did the OES affect the mobility and resource exploitation strategies and what was their role in LSA societies?
8. Did the production of OES cause a shift in production techniques for lithic tools?

The lithic assemblage consists of endscrapers, backed tools, and projectile points from the Interior Wilton cultural sequence. Other cultural sequences found at the site include those of Smithfield, Lockshoek, and Robberg. Use-wear analyses of Later Stone Age lithic tools are not common, so this will be one of the few extensive analyses conducted. It is necessary to include the double backed tools that were not included in Bousman’s (1991) dissertation in this use-wear analysis to identify if they were utilized to produce ostrich eggshell beads, since eggshell beads were found alongside the lithic assemblage at the site. Identifying a connection between the lithic tools and beads would aid in understanding whether there were organizational skills with specialized tools or if it the creation or use of these items was happenstance. This would change the understanding of the LSA and disrupt known categories and typologies of lithic tools and their associated typological uses.