An Early Dynastic III Flint Industry from Abu Salabikh

Abstract

The flints described here are of interest because they make up a complete late flint industry. They come from well-dated deposits in an area apparently without earlier or later occupation, and can thus be regarded as characteristic of the period. The industry is simple, with a very restricted tool range; there are abundant blades, denticulate sickle blades used in composite sickles of wood and bitumen, small numbers of micro-borers for perforating beads and occasional other tools.The first section below deals with flints from stratified Early Dynastic III levels of the main mound excavated in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978, the second with flints of the same date found in 1976 in what is thought to be a flint knapper's working pit.The flint used is a fairly fine-grained nodular flint, generally brownish-grey, with brown bands near the cortex. Many specimens have been burnt. Rare blades are made of a dark grey, rather opaque, obsidian. Both flint and obsidian must be imported, neither being obtainable locally. The flint is similar to that used at the same date at Kish, and both may be imported from the same source.