C INDEX: DIMENSIONING THE EXPEDIENT/CURATIVE CONTINUUM IN LITHIC TECHNOLOGY

the technological emphasis in lithic assemblages can be examined in terms of the degree of planning each set represents and its corresponding position along the expedient/curative continuum. this approach has been a very useful analytical tool in studies of toolmaking technologies, especially among hunter-gatherer societies. in most cases, however, the approach uses qualitative criteria which, though valid, do not allow for comprehensive comparisons of different contexts. this work proposes a mechanism that is more quantitative than qualitative by offering an índex that can measure the degree of curation of a given lithic assemblage. as the paper shows, we have found this development to be a useful tool for analyzing hunter-gatherer and horticulturist contexts of central chile.