Flint Blades Research Articles

Old find – new information. Hoard of long flint blades from Wąworków (Sandomierz Upland, Poland)

Deposits of flint blades have been found in southern Poland for many years. These finds, although rare, due to their nature have aroused the curiosity of many researchers. One such assemblage, consisting of seven macrolithic chocolate flint blades, was discovered in 1958 in the village of Wąworków, Opatów District. In order to understand the reasons for depositing these lithics in the ground and to uncover all the secrets they conceal, the artefacts were subjected to multidimensional research. In the first phase of the studies aimed at analysing and recording the assemblage, a detailed description of the specimens was made, and raw material, technological, and functional analyses were carried out. Then, on the basis of the collected data, an attempt was made to establishtheir age, cultural provenance, and final interpretation.

3D study of the vibrational behaviour of lithic flint blades

Stone Age sites are well known to often contain many lithic flint blades and flakes, which may provide important information about early European Stone Age cultures and their environment. Understanding the mechanical behaviour of lithic flint blades represents an important problem for scientists in general and archaeologists in particular. In this study, the structural behaviour of lithic flint blades is studied. Ten specimens with different geometric shapes (tilted, curved, with bumping surfaces) were studied and tested. Their natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes (that is how the specimen deforms under any external excitation) are estimated using two models: an analytical model that accounts for the specimen's curvature and a 3D Finite Element (FE) method. Advanced experimental methods, including ultrasound techniques, were used to measure the mechanical properties of the specimens. The experimental set-up was built around a laser vibrometer that measured the specimen's displacement. The model predictions were compared with the experimental data to validate their effectiveness. A good agreement is observed between the models and the real data. It is particularly observed that despite their complicated geometries, the specimens still follow a structured pattern in their dynamic response. The presented study supports the use of acoustic methods as an effective tool to characterize and detect submerged prehistoric materials. This work contributes to the dynamic characterization of submerged Stone Age materials.

BURIALS WITH KNIFE-SHAPED BLADES FROM THE DON REGION AND THE NORTH CAUCASUS

In the steppes of Eastern Europe, a whole series of burials were uncovered in simple pits, in which the deceased were buried on their backs, with their legs tucked up, knees up. Their outstretched or half-bent arms lay along the body, hands near the hips, sometimes in the groin area. A flint knife-shaped blade was also discovered there. The bones were richly dyed with ochre. The buried from the Lukovsky I burial ground in the Mozdok district of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, explored in 2017 by the archaeological expedition of LLC “OKN-Proekt” (Rostov-on-Don) complements this series of burials, which S.N. Korenevsky attributes to the proto-Yamna period. The use of knife-shaped blades in the funeral rite is not limited to the framework of the Eneolithic period. They are also found in the burials of the Middle Bronze Age. Since this sample group is characterized by the position of the deceased in simple grave pits, it is questionable to include in it undercut and catacomb structures, in which archaic elements of the funeral rite and grave goods are found. A flint knife with a leather handle was not only a “meat knife”, but also a tool for performing surgical operations. It was used to perform operations to apply cuts (tattoos) to the surface of the skin, as well as to perform rituals associated with phallic cults that emerged in a patriarchal society, where the role of men increased. The placement of a flint blade between the thighs, in the groin area, between the palms, suggests its simbolic meaning. A flint blade was used in performing circumcision of the foreskin, in cult sacrifice.

Technical traditions and individual variability in the Early Neolithic: Linear pottery culture flint knappers in the Aisne Valley (France).

For the Early Neolithic lithic industry in Western Europe (5500-4800 BCE), the study of technical behaviors, recognition of technical traditions, and even more so, idiosyncratic manifestations are not widespread. In this study, we propose an original approach to lithic industries based on the identification of "communities of practice" and individuals within housing units. The comparison of lithic series from the Meuse, Rhine and Seine basins allowed us to identify different technical traditions in the Early Neolithic. The study of three dwelling units at two sites in the Aisne Valley in France shows that it is possible to distinguish different flint blade debitages, which we interpreted as the work of different knappers. This novel study of hand-finding in the villages of the first agro-pastoralists populations proves stimulating for the renewal of perspectives on the interpretation of the organization of activities within villages.

Flint blades and daggers from collective burials dated to the Final Neolithic and Chalcolithic in Southern France

In Southern France, Late Neolithic collective burials have yielded a large number of retouched or unretouched flint blades which even occur in the form of dagger blades. Their intrinsic (petrographic, technological and typological) data have recently been clarified. In many cases, it is now possible to specify the origin of most of these pieces and to identify their primary (related to the process of manufacturing workshops) and secondary (use wear) characteristics. Out of the eight main raw material categories identified in Southern France only two are regional: Ludian flint from Collorgues in the Gard department and Stampian flint from Mur-de-Barrez in the Aveyron department. The other flint materials stem from the neighbouring regions, i.e. from the western part of Upper Provençe (Bedoulian flint from Vaucluse and banded Oligocene flint from Forcalquier), the north-eastern part of the Iberian peninsula (lacustrine flint from Monegros and evaporitic flint from the Ebro basin), the Touraine region (Turonian of Le Grand-Pressigny) as well as from various Cretaceous flint sources in the Aquitaine region (Bergeracois, Angoumois, Saintonge). In general, the blades found in collective burials are used objects that were part of the personal equipment and that are identical to those found in neighbouring settlements. In most of the territories, it is possible to establish valid correlations between the series of collective burials which in many cases were used over a long period of time and the excavated settlements which were occupied during a shorter period of time and which are generally dated more reliably and can be assigned to well-defined cultural groups. It is then possible to improve the perception of the extrinsic data of these pieces, in particular those related to their cultural and chronological context, and to advance new lines of comparative studies, such as the one discussed here related to the comparison of the data stemming from collective burials in caves with those originating from megalithic monuments or hypogea. As regards the geographical distribution of these types of graves, it should be noted in the first place that it varies greatly according to the natural areas and that these disparities must be taken into account in the quantitative variations recorded. The distribution of each category of flint blades by type of tomb in the various chrono-cultural areas under study does not reveal a clear difference which could be explained by a distinct socio-economic status of the users of these types of tombs. The variations recorded seem to be mainly related to two phenomena. The first is related to the more or less wide scope of the various blade production centres and to the strength of their distribution network, which results in variations in the density of occurrences dependent on the distance from the sources. The second phenomenon that seems to have the greatest impact is related to the chronology and therefore to the periods of use of the various collective burials. By adopting a subdivision of the Late Neolithic into four phases, it is possible to highlight differences. During the Late Neolithic 1 (3500-3200 BCE), flint blades of Provence origin made from Bedoulian flint and banded Forcalquier flint were predominant. During the Late Neolithic 2 (3200-2900 BCE) blades made from Forcalquier flint had the largest diffusion, while new regional networks ensuring the distribution of thick and curved blades developed in two areas: the Mediterranean area as regards the Collorgues site and the Causses region as regards the Mur-de-Barrez site. The Late Neolithic 2b (2900-2700 BCE) and especially the Late Neolithic 3 (2700-2400 BCE) which corresponds to the emergence and development of Chalcolithic metallurgy in the Languedoc and Causses region are marked by a preferential diffusion in the form of flint daggers. Competition between the diffusion networks of the daggers made from Forcalquier flint in the Provence region and those made from Le Grand-Pressigny flint in the Touraine region finds expression in the spread of very sophisticated pieces characterised by ripple-flaking retouch the areas of distribution of which are largely overlapping. These pieces were found in both caves and megalithic monuments, as is the case for the copper daggers.

Reflectance spectroscopy in combination with cluster analysis as tools for identifying the provenance of Neolithic flint artefacts

The provenance of flint artefacts found in archaeological excavations is very important for archaeologists to better understand artefact displacement, exchange networks, mobility patterns, prehistoric migrations and various cultural processes such as commerce, procurement strategies, territorial boundaries, etc. Reflectance Spectroscopy is an analytical technique that measures the radiation reflected by any type of surface, as it is sensitive to electronic and vibrational processes, both at the atomic and molecular level, which results in spectral signatures and absorption bands of the material. In this study the flint material of 16 quarries with evident signs of having been used to manufacture artefacts during the Neolithic period have been characterized by means of their spectral signatures and used to identify the origin of 5 flint blades found in a dolmen close to one of the quarries. The application of cluster analysis to compare the spectral signatures of both the quarries and the archaeological blades has ruled out one of them as not being sourced from the studied quarries, as well as assigning a very probable origin to the other four. Interestingly, none of the blades studied have been sourced to the nearest quarry, as one might presume. The results of this study confirm that reflectance spectroscopy combined with the multivariate statistical analysis could provide a powerful tool for determining the origin of flint artefacts which have been deposited in museums and other institutions.

Canaanean Blade Production at Fazael 4 and the Tal`at `Amreh Quarry

ABSTRACT This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint blades for composite sickles in light of recent findings from the Early Bronze Age Canaanean blade workshop at Fazael 4, and the uncovering of a related flint quarry at Tal`at `Amreh Mountain. The new discovery presents a rare opportunity to explore all stages of production from raw material acquisition to the finished Canaanean blades. This study addresses methodological aspects of establishing a link between a quarry and a workshop, efforts invested in flint procurement and transportation, the scale and organization of production, and the economic benefits of the Canaanean blade industry as a specialized production trajectory.

Кремневое производство на поселении усатовской культуры Маяки

Usatovo culture settlement of Mayaki was discovered in 1961. The site is located on the southeastern outskirts of the village of Mayaki, on the plateau of the Dniester left bank. The first studies were carried out by V. G. Zbenovich on an area of ca. 500 m2. It was found out that the site is a system of ditches of different sizes, filled with cultural remains. The author publishes the flint collection (3683 pieces) from Mayaki settlement (studies led by V. G. Petrenko in 1990s — 2000s). The primary flint splitting and production of secondary retouched tools took place on the area of the site. This is evidenced by a fairly large number of fragments, core spalls, cores and production waste in the form of various flakes, scales, as well as secondary retouched finished products. The collection contains flint pebbles, cores, flakes, blades, production wastes, scrapers, trapeziums, Kukrek insert, points, retouched blades, flakes, fragments and other tools. Some tools turned out to belong to the earlier archaeological eras. They were picked up somewhere by the Eneolithic inhabitants of the settlement. At the Usatovo culture settlement of Usatovo-Bolshoi Kuyalnik, quite a lot of tools were produced from imported flint. On the contrary, at Mayaki settlement, based on the examined materials, practically all tools, with some exceptions, were produced from local raw materials.

Fra grænselandet mellem to kulturer

Fra grænselandet mellem to kulturer

Lezhnytsia, “Chub” site – an example of functioning of a settlement microregion of the funnel beaker culture in Ukraine

The aim of this article is an attempt to reconstruct the settlement network and settlement conditions for the Funnel Beaker Culture (FBC) site «Chub» in Lezhnytsia near Ivanychi, in the Volhynian Upland. The excavation research carried out in this place in 1933-1934 and in 1962 uncovered the vast FBC settlement with stable dwelling and farm buildings (7 immovable constructions in total). The collection of movable artefacts allows us to relate the functioning of the settlement to the last quarter of the fourth thousandBC and makes it parallel with the sites type Gródek II, Zymne II in the Volhynian Upland and Vynnyky, site «Lysivka» and Mali Hrybovychi, site «Chorna Hora» in Roztocze. Due to the amount of exploration studies and information obtained about the microregion around Lezhnytsia, it is one of the best archaeologically recognized areas in Ukraine. Favourable environmental conditions (soil, river network system) and the presence of natural resources (flint and copper) had a great impact on the settlement concentration there. Speaking ofthe sites, their various functions have been discovered (settlements, camps, traces of economic activity, mass finds of flint artefacts). Regarding the preserved layout of the FBC settlement points around Lezhnytsia, certain features of spatial organization can be found. As for the central parts of the analyzed area, there are settlements together with a large number of single finds («treasures» of flint blades) in their vicinity, as well as smaller settlements. They are accompanied by small sites that were probably only used occasionally or temporally. These systems resemble structures known from other areas of Ukraine (Vynnyky, Zymne) and the upper Vistula basin of that period. The TRB communities living in the Lezhnytsia region, due to the network of trade connections, played an important role in the cultural transformations in the fourth thousand BC. Their effect was the distribution of local West Volhynian flint of the Turonian period to the western regions of the TRB range (i.e. to the Vistula basin) and the cultural elements related to the Baden culture in eastern areas (a central part of the Horyn basin). Key words: Funnel Beaker Culture, Volhynian Upland, microregional studies.

NEW ARCHAEOBOTANICAL STUDY OF POTTERY FROM THE SUB-NEOLITHIC SITE OF BAZKIV OSTRIV ON THE SOUTHERN BUH RIVER (using Replica-SEM method)

The study of impressions of plants in ancient pottery is one of the traditional methods of archaeobotanical research. Twenty years ago, Halina Pashkevych identified traces of a few cultivated species on the potsherds of the Buh-Dnister culture (BDC) from the Southern Buh River basin based on naked-eye observations (Pashkevich 2000; Kotova 2002). In particular, impressions of grains of Triticum monococcum and Triticum dicoccum were found on the surface of some vessels from the Bazkiv Ostriv site, excavated by Valentyn Danylenko in 1959 (fig. 1). The use of silicone rubber resin to obtain replicas — positive copies of impressions (fig. 2), as well as the use of a scanning electron microscope significantly improved the reliability of specific identifications of traces of plants in recent decades (Ushino, Tagawa 1991; Hisa, Katada 2005). This allows drawing conclusions based on not only grain size and shape but also its anatomically detailed fresh surface, which gets a more reliable result than even the study of charred remains from flotation. Re-identification of impressions on Neolithic vessels from Ukraine using the improved methodology was the goal of a joint Japan-Ukrainian archaeobotanical project, implemented in 2016—2019 (Endo et al. 2017; 2019). Among others, the materials of the Bazkiv Ostriv site were studied. All ceramic finds from the site (701 fragments from 90 vessels including 668 potsherds from 81 BDC vessels and nine fragments from two vessels of the Linear Pottery Culture) were examined. In total, 24 traces identified now or were identified earlier as possible impressions of seeds of plants have been found. The research of them using Replica-SEM method (fig. 3) allowed making only two reliable species definitions. These are impressions of elderberry cf. Sambucus seeds (Bzk-003, Bzk-004) on the surface of vessel 22 of the Skybyntsy type (fig. 4). Another trace was interpreted as a possible impression of the chaff of probable cereal plant doesn’t indefinite for species (Bzk-006). It was recorded on the surface of vessel 1 of the Samchyntsi type (fig. 5). The majority of the rest samples could not be identified even for plants. As a result, none of the observed potsherds from the site, including already published ones as having cereal impressions, contains traces of cultivated plants at present. This conclusion applies to other archaeobotanicaly examined pottery from the BDC monuments too. The absence of farming activity is indirectly evidenced by the complete lack of flint blades sections with characteristic gloss (so-called «sickle inserts») in the flint assemblages of the culture (Haskevych 2003). The absence of changes in the location of the sites in comparison with the previous Mesolithic ones in the region may indicate the preservation of a traditional hunter-fisher-gatherer way of life. So, the influence of neighbour farmer groups there can be traced only in sporadic exchange of prestigious goods, as well as in attempts to imitate the decoration and forms of pottery of the Kriş, Vinča, Szakбlhбt cultures. That is why it would be more correct to call the BDC not Neolithic but Para-Neolithic, or Sub-Neolithic.

Continuation of fishing subsistence in the Ukrainian Neolithic: diet isotope studies at Yasinovatka, Dnieper Rapids

Yasinovatka is one of around 30 prehistoric cemetery sites of fisher-hunter-foragers located along the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine. Dating to c. 5540–4930 cal BC, the skeletal remains at Yasinovatka suggest that around sixty-eight individuals were interred at the cemetery, during three broad phases of interment: A-type burials (c. 5540–4930 cal BC), Ƃ1 pit burials (c. 5550–4750 cal BC), and Ƃ2 pit burials (c. 4980–4460 cal BC). The burials are characterized, in part, by the inclusion of a number of Mariupol-type plates of boar tusk, in addition to deer tooth pendants, Unio shells, knife-like flint blades, Cyprinidae teeth, sherds of Neolithic pottery, and significant deposits of ochre in the later burial pits. Here we analyse δ13C and δ15N values for 50 human bone collagen samples from the site. The majority of the isotope results show a fisher-hunter-forager population reliant predominantly on freshwater aquatic proteins, which is in keeping with previous dietary isotope studies in the area. Two individuals however have δ15N values that are clearly depleted when compared with the main population; these reflect dietary protein intakes based on plant and animal terrestrial resources rather than the predominant focus on aquatic resources. Notably, the δ13C values of these anomalous individuals are not enriched compared with the fauna samples analysed from the region; this supports the possibility that they were incomers to the area, potentially from a nearby agrarian population.

Diversité technique des débitages laminaires au Néolithique ancien à Vaux-et-Borset (Hesbaye, Belgique) : manières de faire, problèmes d’interprétation et perspectives anthropologiques

Cette étude explore la diversité technique de la production laminaire dans les villages rubané et Blicquy/ Villeneuve-Saint-Germain de Vaux-et-Borset (Hesbaye, Belgique). Cette diversité technique est essentiellement définie par un traitement différentiel des plans de frappe et des préparations au détachement des lames. Or, les différences relevées ne conduisent pas à la production de supports pour un outillage spécifique. Elles ne se justifient pas non plus par les qualités intrinsèques des matières premières. À contexte de production équivalent, nous proposons dès lors que cette variabilité technique reflète différentes manières de faire parmi les tailleurs du village de Vaux-et-Borset. La reconnaissance d’une véritable continuité de certaines manières de faire entre le Rubané et la culture Blicquy/ Villeneuve-Saint- Germain atteste de leur transmission dans le temps. Cette transmission signe la coexistence d’au moins deux filières d’apprentissage chez les tailleurs au Néolithique ancien. Par ailleurs, les tailleurs rubanés du village de Vaux-et-Borset semblent presque tous issus du même réseau d’apprentissage contrairement aux quatre groupes distingués chez les tailleurs blicquiens. La diversité des pratiques techniques et des traditions techniques au cours du Blicquien est discutée. En l’état actuel des données, il semble qu’elle puisse à la fois résulter de la mobilité de populations avoisinantes et du syncrétisme de certaines traditions.

Unique construction of a megalithic tomb from Stryczowice, Świętokrzyskie Voivodship

The cemetery of the Funnel Beaker culture at Stryczowice is situated in the Sandomierz Upland region. Three megalithic tombs and a flat cemetery were discovered and examined. The most well-preserved tomb is about 30 m long, and its plan has a trapezoidal shape. Its stone settings formed a kind of dry-stone wall – a phenomenon on a European scale. In the front part of this tomb, a central grave has been examined, consisting of two stone chests – one at ground level and the other built into the ground. In this second feature, fragments of a male skeleton were discovered. Around the central grave, six burials were uncovered. Each of the megalithic tombs were accompanied by a flat cemetery. Six graves and a stone pavement were excavated. The burial pits were constructed of low, stone chests, covered with pavement. Some of the deceased were equipped with burial goods – collared flasks, a battle-axe, retouched flint blades, and some hematite lumps.

Каменный инвентарь неолитических комплексов с плоскодонной керамикой лесной зоны Зауралья

Purpose. The earliest sites with different variants of flat-bottomed ceramics in the forest zone of Trans-Urals and Western Siberia date back to the 7th – the beginning of the 6th millennium BC. To understand the process of neolithization, it is important to ascertain the succession of their lithic industries with previous Mesolithic. Results. A review of the Early Neolithic stone inventory reveals two distinct areas in the forest zone. The northern one (Lower Ob, Surgut Ob and Konda basin) is characterized by three technologies: direct percussion flaking and block-on-block knapping of quartz, with inexpressive rarely retouched tools such as scrapers and scaled pieces; percussion-abrasive technique for polished knives, arrowheads, adzes and axes; punch technique for flint inset bladelets, without any arrowheads. Although investigated Mesolithic sites are not numerous in this area, it is clear that the first two technologies arose in the North since that time, when the microblade technique was the dominant one. Lithic assemblages of Early Neolithic settlements in the southern forest zone (Middle Trans-Urals) are generally analogous to the local Mesolithic. The latter included the microblade industry similar to the northern one but supplemented by polished axes. In the Early Neolithic it was completed by arrowheads (tanged points). The inventory of Early Neolithic sites in the Ob-Irtysh forest-steppe region with similar flat-bottomed ceramics almost exclusively contains the flint blade industry resembling the Mesolithic one of the area. Conclusion. Therefore, it is possible to trace traditions and innovations in stone-processing based on three groups of features. These are the types of available stone raw material and their own appropriate technologies, the preservation degree of microblade industry, the nomenclature and typology of implements. According to these traits, in each of the three districts, the Early Neolithic stone industry inherited traditions of the local Mesolithic, but developed in its own way.

Tombes à dalles néolithiques (cistes et chambres) du nord-est de la péninsule Ibérique : une vision historiographique et chronologique

Les sépultures à dalles néolithiques sont connues depuis le début du XXe siècle, tout particulièrement grâce au travail débuté par J. Vilaró et poursuivi par M. Cura, J. Castany et Ll. Guerrero. Cependant, elles ont reçu de la part des archéologues moins d’attention que d’autres structures funéraires (même si elles sont souvent mentionnées dans la littérature archéologique), ce qui est surprenant. En effet, les tombes découvertes sont nombreuses, ainsi que les parallèles avec d’autres manifestations néolithiques contemporaines ou proches dans le temps du sud de la France, du nord de l’Italie ou de la Suisse. Il s’est donc avéré nécessaire d’effectuer une série d’analyses pour améliorer nos connaissances à leur sujet. La faible visibilité de ces tombes (ou l’absence de visibilité), leur mauvais état de conservation, le manque de prospections et les dégradations dues aux remaniements des sols des zones agropastorales dans lesquels elles se trouvent, peuvent être les causes du nombre peu élevé de découvertes réalisées ces dernières décennies. L’objectif de cet article est de présenter les derniers résultats obtenus par notre équipe de chercheurs réunie autour de l’étude de ces tombes. Nous présenterons l’état de la question sur leur historiographie, ainsi que les caractéristiques qui les définissent, en partant des structures pour arriver aux personnes inhumées et au mobilier funéraire associé. Il est important d’insister sur l’existence de nouvelles datations radiocarbone et sur les analyses statistiques effectuées, car elles nous ont permis d’évaluer la distribution chronologique des tombes et leur durée d’utilisation. Jusqu’à la réalisation de ce programme de datation, la chronologie des sépultures à dalles était assez incertaine en raison du nombre restreint de dates, dont certaines obtenues à partir d’échantillons de longue durée de vie. Ces données ont servi de trait d’union pour établir des liens avec d’autres manifestations funéraires du néolithique d’Europe centrale et occidentale.

Back to the edge: relative coordinate system for use-wear analysis

Use-wear studies rely heavily on experiments and reference collections to infer the function of archeological artifacts. Sequential experiments, in particular, are necessary to understand how use-wear develops. Consequently, it is crucial to analyze the same location on the tool’s surface during the course of an experiment. Being able to relocate the area of interest on a sample is also essential for reproducibility in use-wear studies. However, visual relocation has limited applicability and there is currently no easy and efficient alternative. Here we propose a simple protocol to create a coordinate system directly on the sample. Three ceramic beads that serve as reference markers are adhered onto the sample, either with epoxy resin or acrylic polymer. The former is easier to work with but the latter is reversible so it can be applied to archeological samples too. The microscope’s software then relocates the position(s) of interest. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and measure its repeatability by imaging the same position on an experimental flint blade 10 times with two confocal microscopes. Our results show that the position can be relocated automatically with a horizontal positional repeatability of approximately 14% of the field of view. Quantitative surface texture measurements according to ISO 25178 vary due to this positional inaccuracy, but it is still unknown whether this variation would mask functional differences. Although still perfectible, we argue that this protocol represents an important step toward repeatability and reproducibility in experimental archeology, especially in use-wear studies.

Hoard of long flint blades from the Wodzisław Hummock, Lesser Poland

The subject of this article is a hoard of Volhynian flint blades discovered in Świątniki. The collection encompasses 12 macrolithic Volhynian flint blades. The blades cannot be refitted together. The morphological and technological features of the blades suggest that they were produced with the use of indirect percussion or the lever pressure technique. The traceological analysis did not reveal any utilization patterns. Only slight polishing traces were recorded, perhaps resulting from keeping/transporting the blades in a wrapping made of light material. The makers of the blades should be associated with the populations of the Trypilian, Lublin-Volhynian, or Funnel Beaker Culture, which does not indicate unequivocally the cultural attribution of the hoard.

The Corded Ware culture in the Eastern Baltic: New evidence on chronology, diet, beaker, bone and flint tool function

Around 2900–2300 cal BCE, mobile stockbreeders introduced the Neolithic Corded Ware culture (CWC) into the Eastern Baltic. Here, a Central or Northern European Neolithic economy and ideology took hold despite differences in burial practices. Although around 90 CWC graves are known in the region their contents have not been intensively studied. Here, we present new AMS radiocarbon (14C) measurements and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data obtained on human bone collagen, molecular and isotopic data obtained from ceramic beakers, and user-wear data of flint and bone tools from several CWC graves, Benaičiai, Biržai, Krasnasieĺski, Dakudava 5, and Drazdy 12, in Lithuania and Western Belarus. The bone collagen δ13C and δ15N stable isotope data are rather homogenous and demonstrate that the majority of consumed protein was derived from terrestrial resources. Organic residue analysis of two CWC beakers yielded lipids consistent with ruminant carcass and dairy fats, whilst use-wear analyses indicates that bone pins, flint blades and axes were used as grinders, functional tools or had been carefully renewed before deposition respectively.

Ihren (Ohren) 8 and Oleksandriia Burial Grounds of Chalcolithic Period: Problems of Dating and Cultural Inhering

The author discusses the issues of chronology of the known burial grounds. In this article, first of all, the location of a series of burials at Ihren 8 cemetery is revised and the earlier proposed point of view of the author himself is refined. An important moment for that was a revision of a paired bi-ritual burial 7-8 from the excavations in 1932 with the Trypillian painted cup of the second half of the Trypillia B/2. The author presents the arguments for the assumption that the two burials were made not at the same time. As a whole, singled out are the Early Chalcolithic burials with the peculiar for them position on a back with bended knees, accompanied by flint products, first of all tools made on long blades. The second later group is represented by two supine burials which date is determined by a Trypillian cup. Concerning Oleksandriia burial ground, the author confirms his earlier expressed position on the Early Chalcolithic age of the burials with long flint blades, presenting additional arguments, one of which is a publication of a new radiocarbon date for one of the burials. Based on the author’s terminology, graves of the both burial grounds are considered within the borders of the so called Skelianska culture existence, while in Ihren burial ground several burials could be made in the period of so called «hiatus» when there were the Stohivska group sites in the Dnipro River region.