Prehistoric Tools Research Articles

Obsidian provenance studies of Transylvania's Neolithic tools using PIXE, micro-PIXE and XRF

Obsidian is a natural volcanic glass, which was widely used for prehistoric stone tools and traded over long distances. In the case of Transylvania (the north-western part of Romania), the sources of the prehistoric tools are supposed to be Tokaj Mountains, Greek islands, Armenia and Turkish-Asia Minor. We used PIXE and XRF to analyse various obsidian tools from the above sources. The two-dimensional scatter plots of Ti/Mn versus Rb/Zr and Ba/Ce versus Y/Zr were considered as source indicators. On the basis of these classifications, the majority of the Transylvania's obsidian prehistoric tools were determined as coming from either Hungarian or Slovakian Tokaj Mountains.

Life on the edge: prehistoric settlement and economy on Utrōk Atoll, northern Marshall Islands

AbstractThe prehistoric settlement pattern and economy of Utrōk Atoll, situated near the northern limit of permanently‐inhabited atolls in the Marshall Islands, is described and interpreted from a complete intensive survey and excavations totalling 64 m2 (70.45 m3). Sites range from the most expansive, 25 hectare habitation and horticultural system on the largest islet, to smaller, temporarily‐occupied habitations situated on diminutive islets. A suite of 16 radiocarbon age determinations suggests human occupation of the atoll by the first few centuries AD (Beta‐103903). Four additional dating samples, collected from emerged beachrock, determined when the islets adjusted shape in response to changing sea levels and coastal processes.Some 173 prehistoric tools and ornaments included 39 shell adzes, pumice abraders, pearl shell scrapers, pounders and hammerstones, a trolling lure point, a single piece fishhook point and ornaments such as Conus shell rings, Spondylus beads and disks, pendants and a small drilled whale tooth.Of the 13,545 bones, 88.6% were of fish, mostly inshore taxa, with dog (Canis familiaris), Pacific rat (Rattus exulans), sea turtle (cf. Chelonia mydas), lizard and bird (Puffinus, Phaethon, Sula, Fregata, Egretta and Heteroscelus), as well as three human burials. Some 45.7 kg of shellfish representing 34 families was dominated by bivalves (67%) of mostly Tridacnidae. The Bullmouth helmet, Cypraecassis rufa, was extirpated as a result of human predation, although the archaeological evidence suggests that low human populations on this relatively dry atoll had little noticeable impact on the marine ecosystem, while the terrestrial landscape was markedly altered.

Amatørarkæologer i Danmark

Amatørarkæologer i Danmark

Experimental SEM Determination of Game Mammalian Bloodstains on Stone Tools

The presence of morphologically complete mammalian erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBC) from bloodstains has been previously evidenced in prehistoric implements. While the presence of ancient non-human blood on a prehistoric tool is evidence of the real use of this on an animal resource, the presence of RBC in a smear is evidence of blood. In a simulation of a prehistoric predation human operative chain, mammalian bloodstains on palaeolithic-like chert implements were obtained from two specimens belonging to the order Artiodactyla: collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu, family Tayassuidae) and Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas, family Bovidae). After one year, the unburied peccary blood smear and the buried gazelle smear were coated with gold and then examined by a scanning electron microscope. Results revealed the presence of preserved RBC with several shapes like those found in haematological studies, as well as curved plasma fractures and negative imprints, two bloodstain-characteristic morphologies which are interpreted as due, respectively, to erythrocyte-plasma interaction when drying and to imprinting by dried plasma matrix.

Fractographic Evidence for Liquid on Obsidian Tools

Existence of fractographic evidence for liquid on use-chipping scars on obsidian tools was explored. The presence of such evidence was confirmed on some use-chipping in contemporary applications as well as on blades from an Aztec site at Otumba, Mexico. The evidence is indicative of the presence of environmental liquid during the chipping fractures and, occasionally, it can at least suggest whether the liquid resembled or was very different from water. It is concluded that fractography can sometimes provide supplementary evidence helpful for determining the function of prehistoric obsidian tools.

The mechanical properties of bone materials in relation to the design and function of prehistoric tools from Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina

This paper considers the relationship between mechanical properties, function and design in prehistoric bone tools. The evidence that supports this association could lead to the interpretation of bone tool collections in the light of evolutionary theory. In order to evaluate the interaction among these three factors we have studied the mechanical and geometrical properties of bone used by the prehistoric Fuegians for manufacturing tools (from 6000 BP till the last century). In this study, 3-point tests of bone samples were performed; and the possible function, in terms of modes of action, for each group of tools, was inferred from their morphological traits and the ethnographic record. Results support the view that the bones selected for manufacturing each kind of tool were those whose geometric and/or mechanical properties most suited the design and function of the tool involved.

The artifact as site: An example of the biomolecular analysis of organic residues on prehistoric tools

Abstract The analysis of use‐residues on tools using methods drawn from microscopy, biochemistry, radiocarbon dating and molecular biology results in information which can be at least as informative as excavation‐based reconstructions of past cultures. The analysis of a collection of tools from a now destroyed site in north‐western Canada yields species identification of the residues, the age and task association of the tools, and necessitates a change to the reconstruction of the subsistence and economy of the late prehistoric period in the region.

Verifying the reliability of blood residue analysis on archaeological tools

An objective test of the validity of blood residue analysis as a technique for identifying archaeological tool use is presented. It is concluded that such residues do remain on tools for over 5600 years and that cross-over electrophoresis can accurately detect such residues. This technique provides an accurate means for identifying the animal species on which prehistoric tools were used. Routine museum curation procedures and normal soil processes do not necessarily destroy such residues. This test further supports the use of this technique for identification of unknown stains in forensic work.

Narragansett Basin Argillite: Lithology, Chronology, and Prehistoric Tool Manufacture

This article examines the use of one low-grade raw material, Narragansett Basin argillite, by prehistoric peoples in southeastern New England. Petrographic sections analyzed by Dr. Dan Murray (Geologist, University of Rhode Island) have provided a detailed account of the lithology of this material. Rock formation processes and lithic sources are also discussed. Artifact analysis has provided data pertaining to the prehistoric periods when Narragansett Basin argillite was most often used by prehistoric populations in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. An examination of tool manufacturing techniques has brought to light striking similarities between argillite and quartz Small Stemmed points further supporting the hypothesis of an in situ development of the Small Stemmed Point tradition in New England.

Results of Testing at Site 41KA87 Karnes County, Texas

Archaeological site 41KA87 was tested by the cultural resources staff of the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (SDHPT) in September, 1987. Few prehistoric tools were found and well-defined features were lacking. Cultural deposits were about 50 cm thick and contained lithic debris, mussel shell, and other evidence of prehistoric occupation. The cultural material recovered suggests that site 41KA87 was occupied during the Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric periods. The site is not considered eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and it is not recommended for listing as a State Archeological Landmark.

Exploring 'The Found': A Communications Approach to Art and Architecture

The author describes his concept of 'The Found' as activity involving communications and defines terms such as 'found person', 'found photo' and 'found space'. He further develops the idea of The Found by exploring the reverse (or 'to-be found') activities of designing or re-using space, acting out roles and planting objects. The author, working both in mixed media (photos, sculpture, sound, video, drawings) and in architecture (defined as the organization of space for movement and communication), pursues his work both in urban settings and in deserted coastal ateas, using prehistoric tools as well as high technology. I. FOUND-OBJECTS, SPACES,

Test Excavations of Site 41NL20 Nolan County, Texas

Site 41NL20 is located on the south terrace of Sweetwater Creek at County Road 216 in Nolan County, Texas. Archaeological testing, con-fined to the county road right-of-way and a temporary 50-ft. easement on the east side of the county road, was conducted by the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (SDHPT) in 1983 and 1986 and produced a small quantity of chert debitage and a partially intact hearth. No prehistoric tools were recovered and no concentrations of debitage or activity areas were discerned. The main portion of the site appears to lie on private property east of the tested area. That portion of the site within SDHPT jurisdiction is not thought to meet eligibility requirements for either nomination to the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a State Archeological Landmark.

Procurement, Tool Production, and Sourcing Research at the Vera Cruz Jasper Quarry in Pennsylvania

Prehistoric jasper quarrying and tool production at the Vera Cruz site, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, are investigated through studies of quarry design, lithic heat treatment, intrasite spacing of tool production, and through functional and temporal analyses of artifacts. A methodology combining neutron-activation analysis and discriminant analysis is outlined, and the chemical profiles of seven regional jasper quarries are offered as a first step toward resolving speculation concerning the long-distance trade of this material.

Prehistoric Blood Residues: Detection on Tool Surfaces and Identification of Species of Origin

Blood residues from several animal species have been discovered on the surfaces of chert, basalt, and obsidian prehistoric tools (1000 to 6000 years old) from open-air sites along the western coast and in the northern boreal forest of Canada. A screening test has been developed to detect residual blood. Hemoglobin has been crystallized from the residues, and the species of origin determined.

The role of abrasives in the formation of lithic use-wear

This paper briefly examines the question of the influence of abrasive particles on the development of use-wear on stone tools. It is argued that grit inclusions may have been a common element of prehistoric tool using conditions, hence the need for archaeological experiments which consider this variable. A series of experiments are described where end-scrapers were used on bone and hide surfaces both with and without a grit inclusion. The resulting wear patterns are discussed and illustrated. It is concluded that the addition of grit to the worked surface causes a dramatic and demonstrable change in use-wear development.

Microwear analysis of experimental flint tools: a test case

Recent attempts to infer the functions of prehistoric stone tools have centred on the study of microscopic traces of wear on the surfaces of these tools. One method of “microwear analysis” involving high magnification and an incident light microscope is tested in this paper. Modern flint tools made and used in ways thought relevant to prehistory were produced by a lithic technologist and after cleaning given to the microwear specialist who attempted to infer their use. A high degree of agreement between inferred and actual uses was achieved and this encouraging result has important implications for the study of microwear on prehistoric tools where no such independent check is available.

Criteria of Periodization in the History of European Art

1. Apart from mathematical divisions (centuries, millenniums) and the prehistoric tool and site names with their numbered stages, period names have been of three kinds: political-dynastic, cultural, and aesthetic. Examples of the first are Carolingian, Ottonian, Tudor; of the second, Mediaeval, Renaissance; of the third, Romanesque, Classic, Mannerist, Baroque. Each type of name originally implied a theory about the art it designated. The aesthetic names are more common, but the others survive, often with changed sense. We no longer accept the original meanings of Romanesque and Gothic, but we continue to use these period names as conventions with new historical boundaries.

The Identification of a Prehistoric Bone Tool from the Midwest: The Deer-Jaw Sickle

AbstractWorked deer jaws have been found in a large number of sites in the Plains and Midwest, and a variety of functions have been attributed to them. This paper singles out a typologically well-defined group of deer jaws from Mississippian sites and argues for their identification as sickles. The argument is confirmed by the pattern of wear that appeared on an experimental deer-jaw sickle made by the author. The striations that appeared on the buccal surface constitute the most conclusive evidence linking the experimental tool with the archaeological specimens.

A Hopewell Tool for Decorating Pottery

Wedel and Trowbridge described a prehistoric rouletting tool from a Hopewellian site in Wyandotte County, Kansas. This rouletting tool of bone was circular with a notched stamping edge and an attached handle that served also as an axle for the stamping wheel. The discovery of this tool, according to the authors, substantiated rouletting on the principle of wheel-rolling, as originally deduced by Holmes in 1892.In the collections of the Chicago Natural History Museum there is a Hopewell rouletting tool that may represent a borderline case of the principle of rouletting by wheel-rolling. This tool was excavated from Mound 25 of the Hopewell Group in Ross County, Ohio by Warren K. Moorehead in 1891-92 and until the present time remained unidentified in a miscellaneous collection of fragmentary Hopewell artifacts stored in the Museum.

Some Prehistoric Metalworkers' Tools

One of the outstanding features of ancient craftsmanship in gold and bronze is the decoration of ornaments and weapons with patterns of incised lines, or with dots. Hitherto very few of the actual tools by means of which this decoration was effected have been identified, though their widespread use is proved by the very large number of specimens in our museums upon which they have been employed. Indeed, by their purely conventional use of such terms as ‘awl’ and ‘celt’ archaeologists actually blind themselves to the real nature and significance of such tools, and these notes by a metallurgical worker may accordingly serve a useful purpose in drawing attention to the true character of some of them.