Knappable Materials in the Criș Valley, Romania

Otis Crandell

doi:10.2218/jls.v1i2.1101

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify and characterise some of the raw materials in the Criș Valley, in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania which are suitable for knapping tools. The materials cropping out in this area include: siliceous sinter, agate, and silicified wood. The basic characteristics of the materials, obtained by macroscopic and petrographic investigations, provide a reference database useful in provenance studies on individual artefacts or whole assemblages. An assessment of each material is made regarding its quality as a knappable material.

Highlights

Knowledge of the potential geological sources for knappable materials in a certain area is of great importance in archaeology, in particular when studying production and trade of lithic tools in prehistory
The aims of this paper are to identify and characterise materials of mineral origin outcropping out in the Criș Valley, within the Apuseni Mts., central-western Romania (Figure 1), which may be suitable for knapping tools
The combination of macroscopic features with microscopic features is important in any proper characterisation study of knappable materials

Summary

Introduction

Knowledge of the potential geological sources for knappable materials in a certain area is of great importance in archaeology, in particular when studying production and trade of lithic tools in prehistory. In order to determine which artefacts were imported, it is first necessary to understand which artefacts could be of local origin, especially in the case of materials of similar appearance. The local raw materials are rarely described in details in the archaeological literature. The samples collected during this study are part of a larger lithotheque and will be of use in future sourcing studies. Being able to compare artefacts with samples of potential raw materials helps to narrow down possible sources (Turq 2005)

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Conclusion