{"id":4494,"date":"2025-11-28T15:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T20:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/?p=4494"},"modified":"2025-11-28T19:04:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T00:04:08","slug":"base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/base\/","title":{"rendered":"base"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--StartFragment --><\/p>\n<p><strong>In archaeology, lithics, and anthropology, the <em>base<\/em> refers to the bottom portion of a tool, artifact, or structure.<\/strong> Its meaning shifts depending on context, but it generally denotes the foundational or lower part that supports function, attachment, or orientation.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83c\udf0d Definitions Across Contexts<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lithic Analysis (Projectile Points &amp; Tools)<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Base<\/em>: The bottom edge of a projectile point, opposite the tip.<\/li>\n<li>Function: Often modified (notched, thinned, ground, fluted) to facilitate hafting onto a shaft.<\/li>\n<li>Diagnostic: Base shape is critical for classifying point types (e.g., straight, concave, convex).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Architecture &amp; Funerary Archaeology<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Base<\/em>: The lowest structural element of a monument, mound, or building.<\/li>\n<li>Function: Provides stability and orientation.<\/li>\n<li>Example: The base of a barrow or cairn often defines its footprint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Anthropology (Social\/Economic)<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Base<\/em>: Sometimes used metaphorically to describe the foundation of social or economic systems (e.g., Marxist anthropology distinguishes between economic \u201cbase\u201d and cultural \u201csuperstructure\u201d).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83d\udcda Importance in Anthropology<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Functional Insight<\/strong>: Bases reveal how tools were hafted, monuments stabilized, or systems organized.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural Identity<\/strong>: Distinct base forms in projectile points mark specific archaeological cultures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comparative Value<\/strong>: The concept of \u201cbase\u201d links material foundations (stone, soil, architecture) with social foundations (economy, kinship).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>In short: The base is the foundational portion of a tool, artifact, or structure\u2014critical for hafting, stability, and classification in archaeology and anthropology.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--EndFragment --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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. \ud83c\udf0d Definitions Across Contexts Lithic Analysis (Projectile Points &amp; Tools) Base: The bottom edge of a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/base\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;base&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anthropology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4494"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4495,"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4494\/revisions\/4495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webref.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}