Journal of Lithic Studies
Not a member yet
375 research outputs found
Sort by
Big wheels keep on turning: Some diagnostic phenomena within knapped stone tools of the Hungarian Neolithic
Full text linkResearch into the Neolithic period in Hungary (between 6000 and 4600 or 4500 BCE) began at the turning of the 19th and 20th century, and the cultural frameworks that we use today were coined relatively early. In the last hundred years, Hungarian prehistoric research has done much to delineate these cultures\u27 spatial and temporal boundaries. On this basis, the territory of present-day Hungary can be divided into two major regions - one in the west and one in the east - and three major chronological phases. Although systematic research on Neolithic knapped stone tools in Hungary does not have a long history, the lessons of the last thirty years are sufficient to compare the experience with other elements of material culture and to draw further conclusions by integrating them at a higher level. It is generally agreed that the expedient nature of Neolithic stone tools does not allow for the kind of sophisticated typologies that we know from the Palaeolithic or Mesolithic. However, we are not necessarily lacking general phenomena that could be used to distinguish one region, period, or archaeological culture from another. These phenomena may be differences in the choice of raw materials, differences in typology sets, or technological changes, which are exhaustively discussed with numerous examples from the last decades in this paper. Utilizing Fernand Braudel’s tripartite system, we can reconstruct the processes that influenced the choice of raw material as relatively rapid and frequent changes in both areas, thus reflecting short-term cycles. Typological changes were much less frequent and had an impact in both the eastern and western parts of the region. However, if we look at the broadest period, only one detectable change can be observed, which is in the field of technology, and it occurred at the end of the Early Neolithic. For the rest of the Neolithic, we almost exclusively encounter debitage products and tools derived from indirect percussion applied to regional raw materials, largely using a prismatic or orthogonal core strategy
Late Mesolithic Blade-and-Trapeze Industries between the Land and the Sea: example of Montenegro
Full text linkThis article focuses on the Late Mesolithic blade-and-trapeze industries of southeastern Europe, with a special emphasis on the Crvena Stijena and Odmut sites located in present-day Montenegro and dated to the mid-7th millennium BCE. These two sites are situated in distinct ecological niches; Crvena Stijena is within the Mediterranean climatic zone, while Odmut is positioned in the mountainous area of the central Balkans. A typo-technological comparison of these two lithic assemblages is conducted to determine whether these industries exhibit common characteristics in blade making, indicating shared cultural traditions, or whether they diverge significantly. Furthermore, they are compared with other known blade-and-trapeze industries from southeastern Europe (Žukovica - Island of Korčula, and Lepenski Vir) to ascertain the homogeneity of the Late Mesolithic in the region. Finally, their position within the larger European context is discussed through the question of their possible origin (Mediterranean or Black Sea). The results point to many similarities in blade production, implying that the Crvena Stijena and Odmut assemblages share the same traditions. Additionally, they demonstrate surprising parallels with southern Italian assemblages (Grotta dell\u27Uzzo, Latronico 3). Furthermore, typologically (notched blades, symmetric trapezes) and technologically (possible use of pressure flaking), the Montenegro assemblages are comparable to industries found in northern Africa and southern France. However, the resemblances are not confined to the Mediterranean. Montenegro assemblages also share common traits with potentially earlier industries situated on the Danube and around the Black Sea. In addition, some features (notched blades, trapezes, probable use of indirect percussion) links Montenegro industries with those of central-western Europe and the Alps. Unfortunately, the lack of sites and detailed technological studies, as well as the unevenness of primary data, poses a challenge in drawing conclusions about the presence of distinct technological traditions in the Late Mesolithic of southeastern Europe. Another unresolved issue pertains to the timing of the emergence of the blade-and-trapeze industries, specifically whether they precede 6700-6500 cal. BCE. In conclusion, considering that technological and genetic diversity suggest that Southeastern Europe during the 8th and 7th millennia was a vibrant region hosting diverse groups with different origins and traditions, rather than attributing the development of the blade-and-trapeze technocomplex to a single centre of origin, it is plausible to envision a complex interplay of factors contributing to its development
The impacts of lateral obliqueness and edge angle on Levallois point morphology
Full text linkThe study of Levallois points is important as it combines themes relating to Levallois technology in general (such as cognitive evolution, standardisation, and cultural transmission) with discussions on the specific function of stone tools (for example, the notion of points as spear tips). Many Levantine Middle Palaeolithic assemblages feature a strong focus on Levallois point production. Traditionally, this phenomenon has been studied from a typological perspective, while more recent technological approaches have added layers of understanding, such as the recognition of the frequently recurrent Levallois character of point production in the area. Likewise, use-wear and residue analyses have led to changing perceptions of the function of Levallois points. Here we explore how two quantifiable aspects of Levallois points - cross-section angles and lateral angles - relate to the morphology of Levallois points. By combining experimental knapping with an analysis of Levallois points from Yabroud I, Syria, we show that the obliqueness of lateral preparatory removals has a significant impact on the morphology of Levallois points, particularly in terms of the feature of a Concorde-shaped profile. Likewise, we show that the lateral edge angle influences the length of the points produced. Not only does this study improve of our understanding of Levallois points, but it highlights the importance of angles in studying lithic technology. We emphasize that this study aims to investigate the impact of oblique preparatory removals on the morphology of Levallois points generally, through an initial case study of one assemblage, allowing future multivariate analysis of multiple assemblages to test our hypotheses
From axe to grooved stone: Evidence of recycling practices in the Neolithic
Full text linkThis paper examines the recycling and reuse of Neolithic stone tools, with a focus on a modified shaft-hole axe fragment discovered at Wierzbie, southwestern Poland. The study involved technological and use-wear analysis, supported by 3D modelling, to trace the life cycle of this tool and its transformation into a grooved stone. Stone tool recycling in prehistoric times often involved practices like edge resharpening and the adaptation of damaged tools, reflecting a pragmatic approach to resource management. The modified axe from Wierzbie illustrates a shift in tool function, highlighting a broader trend of reusing Neolithic implements, particularly in Late and Final Neolithic and Early Bronze Age contexts.
The tool\u27s chronology was determined through detailed morpho-typological analysis and 3D model comparisons with complete Corded Ware culture (CWC) shaft-hole axes, confirming its origins within the CWC. The axe made from diabase was modified after it was damaged. The unusual nature of its modification suggests it was likely recycled during the Final Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, possibly linked to the Bell Beaker culture. This is supported by similar grooved stones used as shaft straighteners in Central Europe, particularly within Bell Beaker contexts. Microscopic analysis of the tool\u27s surface reveals wear patterns consistent with its new function, including polishing and striation marks associated with shaping plant-derived material.
The results of this study highlight the adaptive strategies employed by prehistoric communities to prolong the lifespan of tools and materials, influenced by cultural and economic factors. This study highlights the complex life cycle of stone tools, demonstrating that recycling was not merely a functional necessity but also a culturally ingrained practice that helped maintain valuable resources within specific social and economic spheres. Through this lens, the Wierzbie artefact offers important insights into the technological ingenuity and material culture of prehistoric societies in Central Europe
The querns from the Roman military camp at Hermeskeil (Rhineland-Palatinate): Bridging the gap to Caesar’s De Bello Gallico
Full text linkThe late-Republican military camp at Hermeskeil (Rhineland-Palatinate) is one of the few known archaeological sites from the Gallic Wars and can be linked directly to the historical record given in Caesar’s De Bello Gallico. Among the numerous finds are fragments of several badly preserved querns whose provenances can provide valuable information regarding the dating of the camp. The Hermeskeil querns are made from an unusual variety of rock types compared to material from contemporary settlements in the region. In order to determine the provenances, modal mineralogy, whole rock geochemical compositions as well as mineral chemical compositions were analysed on all fragments found until 2017. Besides vesicular lavas, the querns were made of sedimentary rocks, pebble-rich carbonates and arkoses, as well as acidic lava and plutonic rock. One volcanic rock fragment of a legionary quern is produced from lavas from Cap d’Agde in southern France. Several other querns of the Late La Tène type have their origin in Mayen in the Eifel. The plutonic rock is vaugnerite, a rare rock of granodioritic composition, which can be traced via the oppidum of Bibracte to quarries in the northern Morvan. The rhyolite comes from La Salle in eastern France. Except from the querns made of vesicular lava from the Eifel, none of these materials are known from any contemporary archaeological site in the Hunsrück area. What is more, all of them were discovered far away from their regular areas of distribution. Therefore, these querns directly reflect military supply structures as well as troop movements, because during Caesar’s campaigns damaged pieces had to be replaced by locally available products. In a time when the Roman military could not yet rely on a well-functioning supply-infrastructure this category of finds bears the potential to provide important information in connecting the Hermeskeil site with written sources. It becomes possible to prove a use of the camp during Caesar’s campaign in 51 BCE, because it was not before 52 BCE that the Roman army had moved within the distribution area of all the querns represented in Hermeskeil. Provenance studies are therefore a valuable supplement for our fragmentary picture of the Gallic War, which to date is almost completely based on historical sources
The lithic assemblages from the Palaeolithic survey research in the Megalopolis Basin, Greece
Full text linkAn intensive, target-oriented surface survey conducted in the Megalopolis basin during 2012-2013 led to the discovery of several Palaeolithic sites and findspots with lithics and faunal remains, including Marathousa-1, a Lower Palaeolithic open-air elephant-butchering site, dated to ca. 400-500 ka BP. This study presents the results from the techno-typological analysis of 413 lithic artefacts collected as surface or stratified finds during the survey research. The aim of the work is to evaluate the diachronic occupation of the area in relation to the lithic technologies used, the typology of the artefacts, and the raw materials exploited. It was possible to provide a chrono-cultural attribution of 167 artefacts, ranging from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Holocene, with a significant component of the collection attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic. Several diagnostic retouched tools allow us to infer that the open-air sites were occupied comparatively more intensively during the Middle Palaeolithic period. We also provide a detailed account of the lithic assemblage from Kavia cave, a previously unstudied site identified during the survey. The high frequency of artefacts pertaining to the Upper Palaeolithic in Kavia is in line with previously identified settlement and mobility patterns of the Peloponnese, where the occupation of caves becomes more intensive from the Upper Palaeolithic onward, as attested at the sites of Klissoura, Kephalari, and Franchthi. The Upper Palaeolithic component from Kavia Cave adds new data to a meagre sample of known sites from this period. The results from the typological and technological analysis of the lithic assemblages collected during the survey in Megalopolis support the conclusions of the basin\u27s long-term and ongoing research, indicating a relatively continuous hominin presence during the Pleistocene
On foot, by boat: Distribution methods of raw materials suitable for lithics in Central Europe in c. 4900-3400 BCE
Full text linkThanks to long-term efforts to identify the stone raw materials of Neolithic lithics, a dataset of the proportional raw material composition at Neolithic settlements for the eastern part of Bohemia and the Morava River Basin in Central Europe has been created, which can be analysed in the period c. 4900-3400 BCE The focus of this study is on four issues: (1) the chronological evolution of the mode of distribution of the raw materials of lithics and its relation to settlement dynamics; (2) the relationship between the rate of imported raw materials and settlement density; (3) the importance of navigable rivers for the long-distance transport of raw materials; and (4) a comparison of the spatial distribution of stone raw materials and ‘archaeological cultures’. In terms of chronological variations in distributional structures, it is clear that population size was an important factor affecting extra-regional distribution, particularly when compared with settlement numbers and radiocarbon density. In contrast, settlement density was not a determinant of the occurrence of imported raw materials. Navigable rivers are an important factor in the transport of goods, which is represented in the archaeological record by stone raw materials. The most evident relationship between imported raw materials and navigable rivers is in c. 4800-4500 BCE. At the end of the period under study, the construction of fortified hillforts is a significant social phenomenon, which, despite the problematic find circumstances of lithics, suggests a change in the distribution pattern. The presence of archaeological cultures (ceramic style) cannot be an explanatory factor for the changes in the distribution of stone raw materials, as the changes in internal and extra-regional distribution are not related to its changes
Adaptations of the lithic production in the Sauveterroid level of Coveta de la Foia site (Vilafranca, Castelló)
Full text linkIn this paper, we analyse two different lithic adaptations of the Sauveterroid Mediterranean culture in the Valencian Country. On one hand, we have a standardized serial production of projectiles such as backed bladelets and backed micropoints. On the other hand, there is a non-predetermined and less standardized production of a large number of domestic lithic tools such as end-scrapers and retouched blades. The lithic production of this Sauveterroid group shows a double adaptation in relation with the environment: although these groups have enough sources of lithic raw material nearby, and thus they had no restrictions as to the size of the lithic tools, they decided to make a cultural and technical choice producing a large amount of little backed armatures. In addition, the production of domestic tools demonstrates a less technical investment. Technical schemes are mainly unipolar and semi-enveloping, with bipolar and orthogonal technical resources used to prevent knapping accidents caused by soft stone percussion. For non-standard and poorly standardized production, unipolar exploitation is preferred, while in standardized serial production bipolarity and semi-enveloping openings are used as a recurring technical resource. The site of Coveta de la Foia offers the opportunity to explore the relationship between two different lithic productions in one single occupation. Even with relatively close sources of raw materials, cultural pressure is more evident in the production of hunting weaponry as it tends to a process of microlitization tipical of the Mediterranean Epipalaeolithic (Roman 2015; Soto 2015). This type of technical adaptation shows how important cultural influence is in a community’s technical and social system, as it completely constraints the production of hunting weaponry. The Sauveterroid occupation of Coveta de la Foia is one of the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula with a dating of 12740-12680 cal. BP, offering one of the first examples of geometric microlithism in this geographical area
Where have all the arrows gone? A cross-cultural comparison of Lowland Maya and Central Ohio arrow use
Full text linkArrow points are an abundant lithic resource, but exactly how abundant? Recent systematic surveys of the Mayan Lowlands and central Ohio permit a new cross-cultural comparison of arrow use, and factors that may lead to their differing accumulations in the archaeological record. Somewhat surprisingly, Mayan arrow use, at least in terms of recorded frequencies in the archaeological record, is less than that of Central Ohio Late Prehistoric populations. Central Ohio has a much smaller population density than the Yucatan peninsula, so the dearth of arrow points in the latter context is unexpected. There are many factors that may explain the paucity of arrow points in Mayan contexts, when compared to the relatively dense arrow assemblages in Ohio sites. These many factors warrant further research and analysis in both Ohio and Mayan lithic arrow studies. This research presents the results of a preliminary comparative analysis. Several factors likely explain the difference between Ohio and maya arrow frequencies. Given that most arrows in Ohio are found as isolated finds, the most likely explanation is a difference in survey coverage between Ohio and the Mayan Lowlands. The other contributing factors include the relatively short use-life of Ohio arrow points, and the lack of weapon diversity in Ohio. Both factors result in higher usage of arrows, and a higher rate of deposit when compared to the Mayan Lowlands. With the increase in digital archives and records, large-scale comparative studies such as this have the potential to change our collective understanding of warfare, conflict, and tool use by past peoples
Las 6W sobre los Buriles: desarrollando un marco analítico para el estudio de los Núcleos-buril
No full textBurins are flexible tools that have been analysed from different perspectives, showing a wide range of technical diversity. The interpretation of this morphotype has oscillated between two dichotomies: form-function and core-tool. In this paper, we analyse the historiographical trajectory of the burin from a typological, technological, and functional perspective to develop a methodological and analytical framework for the study of this morphotype. Likewise, this work aims to propose technical attributes for the study of burins and burin-cores in order to broaden our knowledge about on-edge core reduction strategies. To this end, we have combined historiographical research on burins and burin-cores together with a general overview of the technical attributes of these artefacts in the units 6P and 7P from Cova Gran de Santa Linya.
The analysis of the refits and technical attributes on the lithic assemblage show different degrees of complexity in the configuration and reduction of burin-like artefacts. Simple burins are configured on a fracture, a plane or a previous removal and do not usually record notches or lateral retouch. On the other hand, we recovered more complex artefacts that belong to the technical sphere of cores. Qualitative and quantitative data allowed understanding the technical actions involved in the reduction of the lateral edges of the flakes by 1) identifying core management actions through retouching (shaping); 2) understanding the actions for the opening of the knapping surfaces (burin facets) from the edge, 3) exploring the technical actions involved in the lateral and volumetric reduction of flakes. 4) reconstructing the knapping sequences associated with this knapping method aimed at obtaining homogeneous bladelets through different reduction phases on the edge of flakes.
As a result, we aim to visualise the role of on-edge cores in the technical organisation of the Palaeolithic occupations and extend our knowledge of the technical behaviour of Upper Palaeolithic groups. Likewise, through this case study we address some of the constraints in the study of Upper Palaeolithic lithic assemblages and allow us to visualise how interpretative biases in the analysis of artefacts may remove expressions of human behaviour in past societies. By limiting these preconceptions, we could fill in some gaps in the interpretation of the archaeological record