Analysis Of Lithic Artifacts Research Articles

Primate archaeology 3.0.

The new field of primate archaeology investigates the technological behavior and material record of nonhuman primates, providing valuable comparative data on our understanding of human technological evolution. Yet, paralleling hominin archaeology, the field is largely biased toward the analysis of lithic artifacts. While valuable comparative data have been gained through an examination of extant nonhuman primate tool use and its archaeological record, focusing on this one single aspect provides limited insights. It is therefore necessary to explore to what extent other non-technological activities, such as non-tool aided feeding, traveling, social behaviors or ritual displays, leave traces that could be detected in the archaeological record. Here we propose four new areas of investigation which we believe have been largely overlooked by primate archaeology and that are crucial to uncovering the full archaeological potential of the primate behavioral repertoire, including that of our own: (1) Plant technology; (2) Archaeology beyond technology; (3) Landscape archaeology; and (4) Primate cultural heritage. We discuss each theme in the context of the latest developments and challenges, as well as propose future directions. Developing a more "inclusive" primate archaeology will not only benefit the study of primate evolution in its own right but will aid conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of changes in primate-environment interactions over time.

The DISAPALE Project: A New Digital Repository of Lithic and Bone Artefacts

ABSTRACT As for every aspect in our daily lives, in the past two decades a digital turn has stormed Archaeology. More specifically, in the field of Palaeolithic research, 3D recording methods are currently starting to become an established standard in the documentation, study and analysis of lithic artefacts. Once made available to public, the DISAPALE project will represent one of the largest 3D-models repository of lithic artefact: after introducing the project, its goals and main characteristics, the paper first contextualizes the specific nature of the blank material in relation to the 3D recording techniques, and then presents a significant example of the workflow that has been implemented during the DISAPALE project and a comparison between 3D models of three objects realized with two different methods, briefly discussing their relative pros and cons.

New zooarchaeological perspectives on the early Upper Paleolithic Rostamian sequence of Ghar-e Boof (southern Zagros Mountains, Iran)

Ghar-e Boof is a Paleolithic cave site in Iran, known for being the type locality for the early Upper Paleolithic (UP) Rostamian lithic industries. Defining the Rostamian cultural group has significant archaeological implications for the Zagros Mountains. First, it highlights the cultural diversity of the UP in the Zagros. Second, it evinces a more complex scenario for the spread of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) across Southwest Asia. Despite this, little is known about human subsistence strategies during the Rostamian. In this paper, we present the results of a zooarchaeological analysis that allows us to reconstruct prey choice, transport decisions, and carcass processing at Ghar-e Boof. Wild sheep/goat was the main prey at the site, but other taxa such as partridges, tortoises, and gazelles represented important dietary supplements. Mortality data indicate that Rostamian hunters primarily targeted prime-aged adult ungulates. Anatomical representation also shows that there was no selective transport of animal carcasses to the site, so hunting activities most likely took place nearby. Although many specimens in the assemblage were covered by thick concretions, the presence of cut marks demonstrates defleshing, filleting, dismemberment, and even the removal of internal organs of prey. Percussion impacts and cone fractures also suggest the processing of bones for marrow. Chronologically, moving from the oldest to the youngest layers, there is a decrease in large game in parallel with a progressive increase in small, fast-moving animals. Following the prey choice model of optimal foraging theory, this diachronic variation might track regional resource stress or an increase in hunting pressure. Our results, along with the analysis of lithic artifacts and changes in the rates of sedimentation during the Rostamian sequence, indicate an increase in occupation intensity through time. Thus, the archaeological record of Ghar-e Boof and the ubiquity of UP sites across the Dasht-e Rostam region most probably reflect population growth within a few millennia after the arrival of AMHs.

Metodología para el estudio del procesamiento de plantas en sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras: un estudio de caso

En el estudio de las sociedades de cazadores-recolectores, se ha exagerado la importancia de la caza en la subsistencia de estos grupos, modelando incluso, las propuestas del poblamiento temprano del continente. Por otro lado, materiales líticos asociados al procesamiento de los recursos vegetales han sido ignorados o subestimados a causa de las difíciles condiciones de preservación de los materiales orgánicos (y con ellos los recursos vegetales) en los trópicos húmedos; pero principalmente por la ausencia de una metodología definida para la recuperación y estudio sistemático de los restos vegetales y los artefactos y áreas de actividad asociados a su procesamiento. En el presente estudio se ejemplifica la importancia de emplear diversas metodologías que permiten no solo recuperar restos vegetales mediante sus restos a nivel macro y micro, sino también las huellas químicas en los pisos de ocupación, así como las huellas de uso y de micro-residuos en artefactos líticos; todo ello orientado por una posición teórica basada en el materialismo histórico y que tiene como objetivo el evaluar los procesos productivos, reproductivos e ideológicos asociados al proceso de transformación de la naturaleza, tomando como ejemplo dos sitios de la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno en el sureste de México (Chiapas).

Mobility and Raw Material Use at the Hunting Camp Spring Site (35WA96), Blue Mountains, Oregon

Analysis of lithic artifacts from the Hunting Camp Spring site (35WA96) in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon provides insight into the technological organization of late prehistoric populations in the southern Columbia Plateau. Results of debitage and tool analyses suggest that raw material quality and availability, in terms of the stone's proximity to the site area and its relative local abundance, were the prime factors in the production of formal tools at the site. In addition, black and, site, a locally abundant and highly durable stone, was the preferred raw material for expedient tool use. Locations of raw material sources, as well as a concentric zone model of land-use (Reid and Gallison, 1993a; Sampson, 1988), provide a basis for understanding hunter-gatherer mobility within the region.

Recent developments in the analysis of lithic artifacts

A review of recent research on lithic technology and functional analysis is presented. Our perception of the state of the art is based on a review of the literature published during the past three years and on the topics that were covered at conferences and workshops on lithic analysis. While the goals have essentially remained the same since the turn of the century, concerns with chronology and the classification of lithic artifacts have given way to studies that treat stone implements as products of a dynamic system of human behavior. In order to understand stone artifacts and the people that made and used them, archaeologists must understand theprocesses involved in the acquisition, production, exchange, and consumption of lithic artifacts. In the past ten years, experimental studies involving the manufacturing and use of stone tools have been integrated with studies of refitted or conjoined lithic artifacts and microwear analysis. The result is a much more dynamic view of the variability in assemblages of lithic artifacts. In this review, we focus on replication and technological analysis of chipped stone artifacts and microwear analysis, and consider the implications of this research.

Petriolo III South: Implications for the Transition to Agriculture in Tuscany

Previous articleNext article No AccessReportsPetriolo III South: Implications for the Transition to Agriculture in TuscanyR. E. Donahue, D. B. Burroni, G. M. Coles, R. H. Colten, and C. O. HuntR. E. Donahue Search for more articles by this author , D. B. Burroni Search for more articles by this author , G. M. Coles Search for more articles by this author , R. H. Colten Search for more articles by this author , and C. O. Hunt Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 33, Number 3Jun., 1992 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/204075 Views: 2Total views on this site Citations: 2Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1992 The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological ResearchPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Graeme Barker Hunting and farming in prehistoric Italy: changing perspectives on landscape and society, Papers of the British School at Rome 67 (Aug 2013): 1–36.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246200004517Richard W. Yerkes, P. Nick Kardulias Recent developments in the analysis of lithic artifacts, Journal of Archaeological Research 1, no.22 (Jun 1993): 89–119.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01326933

Lithic microwear analysis in archeology

AbstractStone tools are the most durable and ubiquitous residue of prehistoric hominid activity. For this reason, archeologists attempt to learn as much as possible about hominid behavior from the analysis of lithic artifacts. Lithic microwear analysis reconstructs aspects of stone‐tool use from patterned variation in the traces of microscopic wear on those tools. The analysis of lithic microwear traces has increased our understanding of how stone tools were used in contexts ranging from the early Pleistocene to the ethnographic present.

Aboriginal Thermal Alteration of a Central Pennsylvania Jasper: Analytical and Behavioral Implications

The aboriginal thermal processing of Bald Eagle Jasper in Central Pennsylvania is described in terms of the chemical and physical changes that occur in this material. Heat treatment is shown to transform the jasper's geothite component to hematite and to improve its workability by reducing its fracture toughness by one-half. This is accompanied by a yellow to red color change. The role of thermal alteration in the local lithic technology is inferred from laboratory heating experiments and from an analysis of lithic artifacts from the Houserville Site (36 Ce 65), a jasper workshop. The prehistoric utilization of this material is analyzed from a regional perspective. The results have implications for aboriginal social organization in Central Pennsylvania.