Abstract
AbstractFunctional studies of Paleolithic stone tools have involved various analytical approaches; namely, analyses of microwear patterns, edge angles, general tool morphology, contextual relationships to other tools in an assemblage and so on. Backed blades are one of the characteristic tools at Japanese Upper Paleolithic period sites 30,000-12,000 years ago. They are made of obsidian, andesite, etc. In some cases, many of the broken pieces are found at sites. However, an approach to clarify the origin of the breakage patterns has not been undertaken in Japan. This paper deals with characteristics of breakages (fracture planes) of stone tools--especially, replicated backed obsidian blades. Differences in breakage patterns resulting from manufacture and use are investigated. Experiments demonstrate that the breakage patterns differ in certain details. In the future, when more experimental data are available, they can be applied to stone artifacts from archaeological contexts and will aid in understanding ...
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