An experimental investigation of the ground stone knives and sickles in the Lower Yangtze River Region during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age

Abstract

Ground stone knives and sickles were important implements in the Lower Yangtze River Region during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. Previous studies had suggested that harvesting gramineous plants such as rice was probably one of their functions, but there is very few empirical evidence of whether these tools were used and how. In this study, a set of replicative experiments were carried out to examine their effectiveness as harvesting tools and use-wear analysis was adopted to determine the multi-stage formation process of the use-wear traces on tool’s surface. The results showed that the knives and sickles were efficient for rice harvesting when used in proper working motions. The use-wear patterns generated by rice harvesting are dominated by bright domed polish linked in reticulated patches often accompanied by fine striations. The distribution of the polish and its morphological characteristics are influenced by working motion, use intensity, and the nature of the stone raw material in varying degrees. The results of our study provide significant reference data and images for deciphering the functions of stone knives and sickles in archaeological records, which are crucial for investigating the development of rice farming agriculture in the Lower Yangtze River Region during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age.