Perforation techniques and traces of use on the Mesolithic adornments of the Trench Area at Cabeço da Amoreira Shellmidden (Muge, central Portugal)

Abstract

The opening of a new excavation area, in 2010, at the Mesolithic shell mound of Cabeço da Amoreira (Muge, central Portugal), known as Trench, uncovered a set of personal adornments made of gastropod shells (Theodoxus fluviatilis and Trivia arctica/monacha), a cervid tooth and a clay ring fragment. This paper reports the provenance, the description of the objects, their distribution in the archaeological context, the techno-typological analysis of the perforations and the presence of traces regarding their use as adornments. The perforation analysis was made by comparison to experimental actions performed on sets from other archaeological contexts, but with similar characteristics regarding the taxa and tools that were used to perform these actions.