The influence of raw material quality on the characteristics of the lithic tool edges from the Atapuerca sites (Burgos, Spain)

Abstract

Abstract This article analyses the relationship between the characteristics of the raw materials and the cutting edges of Sierra de Atapuerca lithic tools during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. In previous publications, we have analysed how the cutting edge and weight of a tool determine its cutting efficiency and the amount of force it is capable of applying. In this paper, we aim to complete that study with an analysis of the influence of the physical-mechanical aptitudes of the raw materials on these edges. The analysis of the qualities of the raw materials, their influence on the development of knapping processes and the final formats of the tool edges inform us about their suitability for producing edges with certain potential capacities. The relationship between morpho-potential elements (length, angle, resistance, etc.) and the qualities of the raw materials has not been empirically studied under explicitly stated experimental conditions in materials from the Palaeolithic era in Europe. This study maintains that the characteristics of raw materials are of fundamental importance in determining the potential uses of these lithic assemblages.