2025-12-31
Sonja Kačar
This 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'Uzzo, 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.
2025-03-15
Wojciech Bronowicki, Adam Kobyłka, Marcin Chłoń, Bernadeta Kufel-Diakowska, Marta Tobiasz
This 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's 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's 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.
2025-03-15
Amal Al Kassem, Huw S. Groucutt, Jürgen Richter, Michel Brenet
The 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.
2025-03-15
Mathilde Vestergaard Meyer, Jesper Borre Pedersen, David Nicolas Matzig, Felix Riede
At any one time in the Palaeolithic, children constituted the largest group of individuals in a given community. While not many objects ascribed to children are known from these remote periods, it is beyond doubt that children participated in many aspects of daily life, including knapping. These youngsters played a vital role in generating technological variation and in societal adaptation. We here focus on the role of children in Northern European Final Palaeolithic societies that experienced markedly different climatic regimes in order to better understand how youngsters and their playful, exploratory learning may have contributed to adaptation. Using a mixed-methods approach we study inexperienced knappers with emphasis on three distinct groups of flintwork: blades, cores, and projectile points. We apply 2D geometric morphometrics coupled with technological attributes, quantitative and qualitative analyses to interrogate the variability within these groups with the aim of tracing the possible work of children through notions of skill level and artefact scaling. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate (i) how we can identify the signatures of children knapping flint, and (ii) how children’s participation in flintwork varied between inventories from periods characterised by distinctly different climates. Finally, to better understand the role of children in innovation and adaptation, we discuss how children’s knapping relates to the generation of technological variability, innovation, and differences in adaptation. The combined analytical focus on blades, points and cores allow us to more securely identify evidence for children, allowing us to compare their contributions to cultural variability across the two time periods.
2024-12-21
Diana-Mariuca Vornicu, Sándor-József Sztáncsuj, Katalin T. Biró, Veronika Szilágyi, Ildikó Harsányi, Boglárka Maróti, Sándor Berecki, Zsolt Kasztovszky
The chipped stone collection unearthed during the 2014-2016 archaeological excavations from the Copper Age settlement at Malnaş Băi was analysed from a multidisciplinary perspective. The aims were to differentiate between the processing technologies of the local rocks and of the long-distance raw materials and to assess the technological traditions that characterise their production. The elemental composition of a selected sample set of the artefacts determined using Prompt Gamma Activation analysis (PGAA) verified the presence of both local and long-distance raw materials. In addition, the PGAA results corroborated that differentiation in both categories requires further field work and comparison. Attribute analysis, typology and use-wear investigations were employed for identifying the main features of the lithic industry in each class of raw materials. These results showed that it might be possible to differentiate between two technological traditions. One of them is represented by the on-site production of small blades made of obsidian, in the Tiszapolgár and Bodrogkeresztúr specific technology. As the PGAA proved, this raw material is a long-distance commodity, but the technological structure of the assemblage suggests its local processing. The other tradition, visible in the flint (also a long-distance material, though not knapped on-site) and local raw materials, is more characteristic for the Copper Age from the east of Carpathian Mountains, meaning the production of medium-long blades through the punch technique. As for the retouching technology and the use of implements, no differentiation based on raw materials could be observed. These preliminary investigations on the chipped stone artefacts from Malnaş Băi allowed the identification of long-distance transfer of lithic materials and technologies and to address their role in the large networks that existed during the Copper Age.
2024-05-22
Eric Olson
Arrow 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.
2024-04-20
František Trampota, Antonín Přichystal
Thanks 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.
2023-12-23
Henry Baills
Until recently, the extreme Eastern part of the Northern Pyrenean Piedmont was a "vacuum" on the distribution map of the Solutrean. As a matter of fact, only two sites, the Embullas cave and Espassoles open-air site, reported the Solutrean on the Pyrénées-Orientales territory which covers an area of over 4000 square kilometers. There is no explanation to justify this situation, since this zone is flanked by two important Solutrean areas. Indeed, further South, just beyond the Pyrenees there are a number of Solutrean sites in Spanish Catalonia: l’Arbreda and Reclau Viver caves in the Serinya region. For hundred and forty kilometers towards the North East, a set of remarkable Solutrean sites spread over Eastern Languedoc along the right bank of the Rhône: the Oullins, Chabot, Pâques and La Salpétrière caves in the Gard and Ardèche regions. Along the Mediterranean coast, between these two clusters, the Solutrean presence is more discreet, in the form of a discontinuous structure of sites (la Roque cave, the Col de Gigean site and the caves of Bize and La Crouzade). The publication in 2014 of the open-air site of the Vigne Bertrand at Vingrau (Pyrénées Orientales, France), close to the Espassoles site, revived the interest for the Corbières zone, a low mountainous area near the Pyrenees. The Ruisseau de la Boulière 2, located very close to the first two sites, confirms the Solutrean presence in this micro-zone. The Eastern Corbières appear today as an identifiable landmark of the Solutrean before crossing the Pyrenees. On the other hand, the discovery of a Montaut type bifacial asymmetrical point in the site leads us to suggest the hypothesis of east-western mobility, along the northern and/or southern Pyrenean piedmonts. The existence of such connections has already been reported on the basis of techno-typological convergences between Aragón (Cueva de Chaves) and Hérault (La Salpétrière) lithic industries.
2023-11-28
Wesley James Weatherbee, Jonathan Fowler, Danika van Proosdij
Automated surface area measurements have been of interest to archaeologists since digital imagery began allowing researchers to remotely collect artefact metrics. We present a method of automatically measuring 2D surface area from artefact planform images employing computer vision in Python. The Python script, provided as a .py file in supplementary data, creates boundaries around regions of relatively homogeneous pixels (artefacts) in the image. These bounded regions are called contours. A count of the number of pixels within each contour provides a surface area in pixels. A circular reference object provides a conversion factor for the contours, as well as a point of reference for geometric accuracy of outputs. Measurements of 2D artefact surface area can be used in combination with measurements of length, width, thickness, and mass, or in some cases, replace such measurements. As presented, this technique provides utility to archaeology with applications to new documentation of artefacts, archived artefact images containing a scale, as well as landscape geoarchaeology and sedimentary contexts. Limitations of this type of surface area measurement include the requirement of the image background being of a solid colour heavily contrasting the artefacts being measured. Effectively, the background requirement limits deployment supporting collection of rapid field measurements from in-situ surface scatters without modification to the script or manipulation of the artefacts. Analytical applications utilizing this technique include studies of relative artefact abundance, shape and size class characterizations in artefact scatters, and redistribution of artefacts by geomorphological processes.
2023-11-04
Peter Mears, Lucy Wilson
The concepts of embedded and direct procurement have become weighted with extra baggage over the years. In embedded procurement, lithics are obtained along with other resources, while direct procurement involves a deliberate trip to the source for the sole purpose of obtaining that raw material. Lewis Binford suggested that direct procurement means something went wrong (a sign of poor planning), and that embedded procurement is the norm. Other authors found valid reasons why direct procurement could be deliberate, planned, and beneficial. Regardless, the two have often been seen as diametrically opposed, and applied to interpretations of mobility and lithic procurement as if they are mutually exclusive of one another. They have also been variously conflated with expedient and curated technology, the use of local vs. exotic raw materials, and so on. The often site-centric vision of archaeologists (we find it hard to see that people may have been passing through a site, not based there and going out and coming back), can further confuse the issue. The most important problem, however, is: how can we tell the difference between embedded and direct procurement from the stone tools collected at an archaeological site? We created the scenario of a site with various proportions of stone tools from different sources. In order to not influence the site characteristics through a priori expectations, we randomly assigned source qualities and percentages in the assemblage, along with the distances and directions of each source relative to the site. Then each author analysed those data from one of two points of view: LW convinced in advance that the evidence supported embedded lithic procurement, and PM equally certain that a direct strategy was apparent. In both cases, the authors felt they had sufficient “justification” to bolster their point of view and build a strong case for their raw material procurement strategy. This exercise gave some insight into the usefulness and limitations of these two concepts as heuristic devices, as they continue to be a major influence on anyone trying to interpret lithic procurement.
2023-03-15
Vanesa Esther Parmigiani, María Celina Alvarez Soncini, Hernán Horacio De Angelis, Anna Franch Bach, María Estela Mansur
This paper explores the archaeological and ethnographic evidence for use of rodent teeth as instruments, without direct modification (without manufacturing), in replacement of lithic raw materials. There are ethnographic records that describe the use of teeth, extracted from the jaw by direct manual grip or use of handles, and also used inside the jaw, which functions as a handle. Most of the teeth that appear in archaeological contexts have been studied within the framework of zooarchaeological analysis, however, there is the possibility that the dental pieces have been used as instruments, although this has rarely been considered. The objective of this work is to present the results of a comparative study of experimental work, which we carried out with beaver ( Castor canadensis ) and capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ), and to discuss their similarities and differences with the traces of use of lithic material. Through macro- and microscopic analysis (Stereomicroscope and metallographic microscope), we were able to characterize and explain the natural use signs of the teeth and differentiate them from the anthropic use signs produced when they are used as instruments. These traces on a macro- and microscopic scale, have different characteristics depending on the material worked and the kinematics used, and at the same time show similarities with the traces that occur on certain lithic materials. Consequently, we believe that it is possible to develop functional analyses on teeth of different animal species, and that these analyses will contribute to our knowledge about the life forms of past societies.
2023-03-15
Jacopo Niccolo Cerasoni, Christina M. Giudici, Kara M. Ehler, Lillian Befeler, Jasper Sha Benson, C. Luc Bieri, Emma Elliott, Emily L. Fess, Kylie Lenz, O. Liv Majetich, Zophia E. McGuire, Emily Y. Hallett
The recent application of a new pedagogical workflow for flint knapping training showcases the high degree of skill acquisition that can be reached in 10 hours of guided practice.