In archaeology, lithics, and anthropology, the base refers to the bottom portion of a tool, artifact, or structure. Its meaning shifts depending on context, but it generally denotes the foundational or lower part that supports function, attachment, or orientation.

🌍 Definitions Across Contexts

• Lithic Analysis (Projectile Points & Tools)
  • Base: The bottom edge of a projectile point, opposite the tip.
  • Function: Often modified (notched, thinned, ground, fluted) to facilitate hafting onto a shaft.
  • Diagnostic: Base shape is critical for classifying point types (e.g., straight, concave, convex).
• Architecture & Funerary Archaeology
  • Base: The lowest structural element of a monument, mound, or building.
  • Function: Provides stability and orientation.
  • Example: The base of a barrow or cairn often defines its footprint.
• Anthropology (Social/Economic)
  • Base: Sometimes used metaphorically to describe the foundation of social or economic systems (e.g., Marxist anthropology distinguishes between economic “base” and cultural “superstructure”).

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Functional Insight: Bases reveal how tools were hafted, monuments stabilized, or systems organized.
• Cultural Identity: Distinct base forms in projectile points mark specific archaeological cultures.
• Comparative Value: The concept of “base” links material foundations (stone, soil, architecture) with social foundations (economy, kinship).

In short: The base is the foundational portion of a tool, artifact, or structure—critical for hafting, stability, and classification in archaeology and anthropology.