Lithic Technology (Archaeology)

The dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa has been extensively researched across several disciplines. Here we review the evidence for spatial and temporal variability in lithic (stone tool) technologies relative to the predictions of two major hypotheses: 1) that a single successful dispersal occurred 60e50 thousand years ago (ka), marked by a trail of geometric/microlithic technologies, and 2) that multiple dispersals occurred, beginning much earlier (probably in Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 5), associated with Middle Palaeolithic technology in its early phase. Our results show that Late Pleistocene geometric/ microlithic technologies exhibit significant temporal and regional differences between each other. These differences suggest independent, convergent origins for these technologies, which are likely to have been repeatedly re-invented. In contrast, we identify similarities between East African lithic technologies from MIS 8 onwards and Middle Palaeolithic assemblages as far east as India by MIS 5. That this constellation of technological features e particularly an emphasis on centripetal Levallois reduction reflecting interchangeable preferential and recurrent methods, along with particular retouched forms such as points e transcends ecologies and raw material types suggests that it is unlikely to entirely reflect technological convergence (analogy). Our results indicate an early onset of multiple dispersals out of Africa. The hypothesis of an early onset to successful dispersal is entirely consistent with the possibility of further subsequent (post-MIS 5) dispersals out of Africa. Testing such hypotheses through quantified comparative lithic studies and interdisciplinary research is therefore likely to significantly advance understanding of the earliest H. sapiens dispersals.

This study examines the weaponry and tactical organization of the Late Classic Maya, focusing on lithic and sculptural evidence from the Usumacinta and Pasión regions, especially in the author´s analysis of Yaxchilan lithics. Through functional typology analysis of projectile points and artistic representations, three distinct weapon systems are identified: heavy infantry (long spears for cutting/tearing), light infantry (medium spears for piercing), and atlatl (dart-throwers). These systems correlate with specialized armor and shields, suggesting hierarchical military organization. The article also explores the symbolic role of the god K (associated with war and lightning) and his representation in ceremonial axes (Cetro Maniquí), implying a stratified command structure. By integrating archaeological and iconographic data, the work challenges earlier views of undifferentiated Maya warfare, proposing instead a complex, regimented combat system with tactical formations and ritual significance.

Esta monografia constitui-se como o resultado de uma pesquisa etnográfica empreendida junto aos bebês reborn. Transformar bonecas a partir da técnica reborn é “a arte de se fabricar bebês quase reais”. Os reborn não são simples(mente) bonecas: eles se constituem enquanto bebês renascidos (reborn babies), por meio da utilização de um conjunto de técnicas aprendidas, acionadas e difundidas através de cursos e sites.

In Mesoamerica, metates and molcajetes are traditionally used for daily food preparation. These grinding tools are still made today by specialized craftsmen (metateros), who share their work between the quarries and their home workshops. In the Purépecha village of Turícuaro (Michoacán, Mexico), a systematic documentation of the work processes and techniques used to make these tools was carried out with the help of skilled metateros. By presenting the tools, processes, and know-how required for this activity, this study contributes to archaeological considerations on this millennial activity. The comparison of detailed production processes from different documented areas of Mesoamerica provides insights into the organization of the work, the individual variability, and the cultural characteristics that are reflected in this technical social activity.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Cantona may be the most unusual archeological site in Mesoamerica. Built on a volcanic hillside, 4000 streets cascade down the hillside, forming a sophisticated rainfall collection system. Cantona is unusual for another reason, it subsisted as a one-product economy and became the main source of black obsidian for eastern and southern Mesoamerica. Most unusual, Cantona co-existed with Teotihuacan, only 200 kilometers away, with little sign of interaction between these city-states, but Cantona was founded 200 years before Teotihuacan, and lasted 400 years longer. At least 24 ballcourts have been found at Cantona, far more than any other site in Mesoamerica. A small percentage of Cantona has been excavated and restored. But the inquisitive visitor, willing to explore off the beaten path, will be rewarded with a most exhilarating and memorable, if exhausting, exploration of a volcanic Mesoamerican site.

This paper further challenges the understanding of St Kilda as an ultima Thule, a distant place beyond the borders of the known world. It does this by comparing the World Heritage site and iconic emblem of Scottish culture with the uninhabited island of Pabbay in the Sound of Harris. In the historical period these islands were owned by the Macleods of Dunvegan, Skye, and farmed as a single unit; the famous stories of St Kilda involve Pabbay and its people. As the Macleod estate waned under financial strain, the stories of the islands dramatically diverged in the 19th century, St Kilda becoming a community of crofter-fowlers and Pabbay a lonely sheep farm cleared of 300 occupants. While St Kilda was lauded for its past and present from the 1860s onwards, Pabbay was cleared before tourism, photography and archaeology took hold and never attracted the same attention. The result, a sense that St Kilda is culturally and even archaeologically isolated, is an unwitting echo of the upheaval in the Outer Hebrides from the late 18th century. It should not be seen as the historical norm. This paper outlines the breadth and depth of the historical links before exploring the post-medieval archaeological landscapes, providing a description of Pabbay based on recent surveys. After exploring the way in which the two islands were alienated, the reasons behind this are explored, as are its effects. It is argued here that an understanding of the 'wider world' of St Kilda, at least in the post-medieval period, could begin with its closest and most important neighbour, Pabbay.

Newly discovered archaeological sites in the Uribe Kosta region of northern Spain are illuminating the establishment of late prehistoric coastal farming settlements and specialised tool-production activities. The modification of settlement patterns and habitats in permanent open-air villages is traditionally linked to the Neolithic expansion in Central Europe and the Mediterranean. Archaeological research allows for the identification and study of these sites in order to understand the socioeconomic and cultural development of the earliest farmer communities. A dearth of archaeological evidence, however, hampers our interpretation of the Neolithisation of some regions, such as northern Spain. Here, research has been traditionally focused on archaeological contexts associated with caves and megalithic structures, with some limited references to Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age open-air sites (e.g.

Se presentan los resultados de los trabajos conducidos en un asentamiento bajo reparo rocoso en el sector de estepa de la Región de Aisén, Chile. Las ocupaciones identificadas cubren el lapso entre 11.400 y 2.700 años calendarios AP, lo que hace del sitio una interesante contribución para entender la temporalidad de la presencia humana, ya sea la cronología del poblamiento inicial, como la recurrencia en el uso del espacio a lo largo del Holoceno. En el trabajo se presenta la metodología desarrollada, se describen las características del asentamiento, haciendo hincapié sobre los procesos de formación de sitios, y se expone la cronología de las ocupaciones humanas y su relación con los materiales culturales recuperados, principalmente líticos. Los resultados se discuten a la luz

Il paesaggio pleistocenico della Bassa Valle del Cecina, situato nella regione Toscana dell'Italia centrale, offre un'opportunità unica per esplorare le dinamiche d’interazione tra uomo e ambiente durante il Pleistocene superiore. Quest'area, caratterizzata prevalentemente da pianure costiere, ha ospitato una varietà di contesti archeologici che forniscono importanti informazioni sui comportamenti socio-economici e sulle strategie adattive delle comunità preistoriche. Purtroppo gran parte di questi siti sono stati obliterati dall'espansione urbana e dallo sviluppo infrastrutturale, rendendo la Bassa Valle del Cecina un caso studio rappresentativo di un paesaggio preistorico a rischio o non percepibile.

Questo studio preliminare segue un approccio integrato alla ricostruzione del paleoambiente, combinando analisi geomorfologiche, indagini di campo e modellazione spaziale. Attraverso l'analisi di dati pregressi provenienti da collezioni di manufatti di superficie, si mira a ricostruire il potenziale archeologico dell'area, sebbene parzialmente compromesso, e a svelare un paesaggio preistorico fino ad ora non conosciuto. La modellazione paleogeografica basata su GIS si è rivelata uno strumento chiave per individuare caratteristiche residuali oscurate dalla trasformazione degli assetti insediativi degli ultimi cinquant’anni. I risultati preliminari evidenziano il profondo impatto delle attività antropiche sulla conservazione del paesaggio preistorico, con conseguenze significative per la comprensione dei modelli insediativi regionali e delle strategie di sfruttamento delle risorse. Questo contributo dimostra come l'integrazione di dati batimetrici e geomorfologici nei sistemi GIS consenta la creazione di scenari diacronici per la ricostruzione delle dinamiche costiere in relazione alla frequentazione del territorio da parte delle comunità paleolitiche.

La revisione dei materiali archeologici raccolti, prevalentemente negli ultimi decenni del XX secolo, permette di acquisire nuove informazioni sulle diverse fasi di occupazione e utilizzo dell'area durante il Paleolitico. L’integrazione dei dati all’interno del GIS fornisce una sintesi su come il patrimonio pleistocenico della Bassa Valle del Cecina possa essere rivalutato e integrato in quadri di popolamento dell’area tirrenica, affrontando al contempo l'impatto critico rappresentato dall’urbanizzazione e dallo sviluppo infrastrutturale.

Handaxes have a uniquely prominent role in the history of Palaeolithic archaeology, and their early study provides crucial information concerning the epistemology of the field. We have little conclusive evidence, however, of their investigation or societal value prior to the mid seventeenth century. Here we investigate the shape, colour and potential flake scarring on a handaxe-like stone object seen in the Melun Diptych, painted by the French fifteenth-century artist Jean Fouquet, and compare its features with artefacts from diverse (including French) Acheulean handaxe assemblages. Commissioned by a high-status individual, Étienne Chevalier, Fouquet's work (Étienne Chevalier with Saint Stephen) depicts an important religious context, while the handaxe-like object points to the stoning to death of an important Christian saint. Our results strongly support the interpretation that the painted stone object represents a flint Acheulean handaxe, likely sourced from northern France, w...

Our paper discusses a small lithic assemblage of six large knapped stone blades recovered from the Cetina riverbed. These artifacts, currently housed in The Museum of Cetinska krajina Region, were discovered in the 1980s. The blades under study exhibit features typical of optimum debitage, suggesting skilled flintknapping techniques. By their size and morphological characteristics, they closely resemble blades from Neolithic assemblages found across Dalmatia and its hinterland. Regular prismatic blades, a hallmark of Neolithic material culture, indicate the spread of early farming communities in southeastern Europe. These blades, produced primarily by pressure flaking, were essential tools used throughout the Neolithic period. The presence of sickle gloss on some of the blades analysed here suggests their use in harvesting, indicative of Middle Neolithic technology characterized by high technological investment. The width of the blades suggests the application of specific pressure flaking techniques, possibly Mode 4 or Mode 5 after Pelegrin (2012). The blades from the Cetina riverbed likely date to the second half of the 6 th millennium or the 5 th millennium BC. Their discovery augments our understanding of lithic production and harvesting technologies in the eastern Adriatic during the Neolithic period, though further research is needed to fully elucidate their temporal attribution and technological context.

Kobazuloa leku berezia izan da Historian zehar, mundu apartakoa edo misteriotsua, lur azalaren kontrakoa, eta horregatik azken finean, sakratua edo madarikatua. Hori dela eta zenbait errito leku berezi honetan kokatzen dira, batzuk ziurraski iraganeko erritoei lotuta, eta erritoak inguru honetan utzitako objektuen bitartez dira ezagunak. Horren ondorioz, ezezaguna den munduaren isla izateagatik, galduta baitago lotura (galdutako istorio mitikoa) edo kasualitateagatik (kontserbazioa dela eta), nekez litzateke denbora desberdinetako aztarnak ulertzea. Aztarna batzuen artean dagoen lotura bakarra espazioan sortutako elkartzea da. Hori askotan gertatzen da, baseliza kobazuloan kokatzen denean, Madalenarena Urallagako haitzuloan (Urallaga auzoa, Galdamiz) esate baterako; edo baselizak eta kobazuloak bat egiten dutenean, gauza bereko bi zati izanik, Santa Luzia baselizaren kasuan (Olabarrieta Goitia auzoa, Garape-Sopuerta) 1 . Kasu hauetan lotura subjektiboa da, badakigu zerbait egon zela aurretik baino ez dakigu zehatz mehatz zer izan zen. Dena dela azalpen "tafonomikoa" onartu beharra dago: ez dakigu ezer gure garaietara lotura horren seinalerik txikienak ere iraun ez duelako, espaziorekiko lotura ez bada izan. Jakina, iraganeko kontuak, istorioak, ez dira kobazuloetan bakarrik islatzen, aire zabalean ere, gizakiak betidanik iraganeko aztarnak interpretatzeko gai izan baita. Esate baterako, monumentu megalitikoetan (Barandiaran J. M. 1974) zuzen zuzenean edo zeharka, monumentu megalitikoen espazioa erlijioso bihurtuz. Enkarterrian zenbait adibide ditugu: Kolitza mendi tontorretako baseliza erromanikoa, Balgerri megalito gunean (Balmaseda-Artzendariz); edo Ventoso mendi tontorrean zegoena Harribaltzaga megalito gunean (Iturriotz-Otañes). Euskal Herrian, trikuharriak deituak, jentil, mairu edo sorgin jeinuen bizilekuak edo hilobiak izan dira gaur egunera arte; baita gordailuaren lekua ("idinarrua", urrez beteta), Estrakinburuko Barrutia tumuluan bezala (Markina). Zenbait kasutan kristautu ziren, otoitzen bitartez, gurutze grabatuak eginez (Bernoa, kasu, Ataun-Burunda) edo baseliza altxatuz: San

Among growing indications of human occupation in the coastal regions of southern and southeastern Arabia extending into the Neolithic and beyond, this study introduces new archaeological evidence, namely bifacial arrowheads and trihedral points, suggesting human presence at the Saruq Al-Hadid site in the fringe of Rub' Al Khali during the mid-Holocene period. Human activities in the site are dated to the 'Dark Millennium' and Bronze Age. We suggest that Contexts 10 and 8 are an extension of the activities of the Horizon IV, located 20 m to the West. This is evidenced by the similarity in the simple reduction strategies applied in both to produce microliths, which are dated in both as well to the Wadi Suq and Late Bronze Age periods. However, there is a notable difference in bone density, with Horizon IV exhibiting higher density. Moreover, the almost complete absence of end products in Contexts 10 and 8 contrasts with their prevalence in Horizon IV. And the absence of final products in Contexts 10 and 8, with their high percentage in the Horizon IV. Taken together, these indications, coupled with the low density of lithics in Contexts 10 and 8 as well as those unearthed in area F, suggest that Horizon IV was the focal point of activities during the Wadi Suq period and the Late Bronze Age.

Resumen Se presentan los resultados del análisis lítico de conjuntos correspondientes al Holoceno temprano y medio inicial buscando contrastar un modelo biogeográfico de poblamiento del área.4,Se aplica la metodología del estudio de la organización de la tecnología para explicar las estrategias involucradas considerando aspectos diacrónicos y sincrónicos. Los resultados muestran que entre 9400 y 8400 años AP se habría producido un proceso de colonización del espacio, continuando con la exploración correspondiente a la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno registrada en el sector sur del sitio. En el Holoceno temprano el sitio manifiesta un uso recurrente y estrategias tecnológicas que denotan un progresivo conocimiento de la región, incluyendo el abastecimiento de materias primas líticas locales. El comienzo del Holoceno medio marca un período de cambios en el uso del sitio y patrones de reorganización de la movilidad que podrían relacionarse con el proceso de aridización registrado en la...

silcastro24(&hotmail.com.ar **CONICET. UNCuyo. valeco(&,ssdnet.com.ar Se presentan los resultados del análisis lítico de conjuntos correspondientes al Holoceno temprano y medio inicial buscando contrastar un modelo biogeográfico de poblamiento del área.4,Se aplica la metodología del estudio de la organización de la tecnología para explicar las estrategias involucradas considerando aspectos diacrónicos y sincrónicos. Los resultados muestran que entre 9400 y 8400 años AP se habría producido un proceso de colonización del espacio, continuando con la exploración correspondiente a la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno registrada en el sector sur del sitio. En el Holoceno temprano el sitio manifiesta un uso recurrente y estrategias tecnológicas que denotan un progresivo conocimiento de la región, incluyendo el abastecimiento de materias primas líticas locales. El comienzo del Holoceno medio marca un período de cambios en el uso del sitio y patrones de reorganización de la movilidad que podrían relacionarse con el proceso de aridización registrado en la cordillera de Los Andes. Palabras claves: Agua de la Cueva, Holoceno temprano y medio, organización tecnológica.

The purpose of this book is to present the results of flint analysis from Funnel Beaker (FB), and Funnel Beaker-Baden (FB-B) occupations at Bronocice, approximately from 3900 BC to 2900/2800 BC. Numerous flint artifacts were recovered during the 1974-1978 excavations conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences.

Resumen El sitio La Marcelina 1 se ubica en el paraje homonimo, localidad de Paso Flores, Prov. de Rio Negro. Parte de sus sedimentos fueron removidos por aficionados, razon por la cual las investigaciones se realizaron en un marco de rescate arqueologico. En este informe se presentan datos sobre los artefactos liticos procedentes de los testigos que fueron excavados, en sucesivas campanas, fuera del area afectada por el pozo preexistente. La muestra analizada presenta artefactos liticos variados, que incluye tanto instrumentos de obtencion como de procesamiento de materiales. Una parte importante de ellos fue confeccionada en vulcanitas procedentes, probablemente, de la cantera de Paso Limay. Las puntas de proyectil no son muy numerosas pero si de muy buena factura, debido en parte a la calidad de las rocas utilizadas (silices y vulcanitas). Hay artefactos de molienda y varios de ellos tienen adherencias de pigmento. Ademas, durante las tareas de limpieza del sedimento removido se ...

, en el año 2004 se realizaron análisis geoquímicos de procedencia a tres desechos de talla de obsidiana de un total de 19 artefactos recuperados en tres sitios de superficie de la localidad arqueológica Barranca Norte, en la desembocadura del río Chubut. Los desechos eran pequeños y conservaban corteza. Dos fueron determinados como pertenecientes al grupo químico Telsen/Sierra Negra 2 (T/SN2) y el tercero al grupo químico Sacanana 1 (S1), ambos procedentes de fuentes secundarias situadas respectivamente a 180 y 330 km al noroeste del área. En 2019 se analizaron otros 49 artefactos, provenientes de 11 contextos de superficie, pero esta vez se aplicó una técnica no destructiva de Fluorescencia de Rayos X (ED-XRF). Se confirmó no sólo la utilización de T/SN2 y S1, sino también de la variedad Telsen/Sierra Negra 1 (T/SN1) y de los grupos químicos Meseta de Somuncurá 1 (MS1), Cerro Castillo (CC?) y Pampa del Asador 1 (PDA1); este último, localizado a 700 km al sur del área. Se determinó el uso mayoritario de las fuentes más próximas: T/SN1, T/SN2 y S1 Los rasgos tecnológicos indican el ingreso de nódulos enteros a los sitios y talla in situ. El reconocimiento de otros grupos químicos y variedades podría relacionarse con la ventaja de esta tecnología no destructiva que permite estudiar todos los artefactos (inclusive aquellos con mayor inversión de trabajo) y, en consecuencia, obtener un panorama más completo de las secuencias de reducción. PALABRAS CLAVE: valle inferior y desembocadura del río Chubut; obsidiana; fuentes de aprovisionamiento; análisis geoquímico (ED-XRF).

Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, ranging from around 57,000 to 29,000 years ago, is a period of significant archaeological interest due to notable transitions in lithic technology and hominin populations. In Europe, this time saw the replacement of Middle Palaeolithic (MP) technologies associated with Neanderthals by Upper Palaeolithic (UP) technologies linked to anatomically modern humans (AMHs). This technological shift is conventionally attributed to a demographic turnover; however, the timing of this transition varied regionally. The presence of Neanderthals and AMHs in the Levant, western Europe, and elsewhere over extended periods complicates the narrative, suggesting asynchronous and regionally diverse associations of hominin species and lithic technologies. This study shifts the attention to potential technological and cultural transmissions among MP-and UP-making groups, emphasizing the roles of social and exchange networks. Recent data from the obsidian-rich Armenian Highlands enable us to consider the mobility and land use of these groups without the added complication of toolstone with different knapping qualities, so patterns more clearly reflect mobility patterns, land use strategies, and potential social connections of foraging groups. These results suggest that, while MP-making groups in MIS 3 had overlapping territories, the UP-making groups at Aghitu-3 had smaller movements on the landscape. In contrast, MIS 2 sites with UP lithic assemblages have resource territories that apparently overlapped much like those of the MIS 3 MP sites. The findings hint at the possibility that differing mobility and land use during MIS 3 might have contributed to the coexistence of distinct lithic technologies, potentially through social transmission rather than a direct replacement of hominin populations.

Compared to the preceding Neolithic phases, the Late Neolithic in the Rhineland is barely known due to a highly patchy archaeological record. So far, this has been explained with a population decrease during this period. We hypothesise, however, that the lack of evidence is rather due to a lack of knowledge on what the archaeological record looks like. Therefore, in a first part, we describe proxies that can be used for the identification of Late Neolithic sites. While pottery is only rarely preserved and exhibits hardly any diagnostic features, we can describe a set of specific types of lithic tools and certain types of lithic raw material which characterise the Late Neolithic sites known so far. Based on this, in a second part we compile potential Late Neolithic sites in order to obtain information on further characteristics of these sites and thus contribute to a better knowledge of this so far badly understood period.

Terry Manby was already an established member of the YAS when my late father, Peter Davidson, served as Hon. Sec. and he shared with me the high esteem in which he held Terry: an esteem repeated in my own case when I later became a member of the Society and of its Prehistoric Research Section. Polished stone axe heads became a particular fascination of mine. They are and were a particular enthusiasm of Terry's and his deep experience and expertise have been a guiding light in my series on Neolithic Axe routes over the last eight years. I continue my travels with this chapter on the Wolds and the Gypsey Race, with an increasing understanding of the underlying distribution of Mesolithic artefacts. It is offered with some humility and respect for the trail-blazing path trodden by Terry over many years. Terry exposed to me the possibility that there was a Neolithic route that entered the Vale of Mowbray across the River Swale to Topcliffe and beyond, into the mystical Gypsey Race.

This preliminary study of the Motopure drill point assemblage identified five morphotypes related to the diameter of the perforation they might create. Further analysis (ie. micro wear analysis) will be undertaken to determine what materials were drilled

Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools brings them to life and integrates them into evolving models of human-landscape interactions. This paper examines hominin behaviour and adaptations at the late Middle Palaeolithic open air camp site Far'ah II, dated to ~ 49 ka by analyzing the spatial patterning of assemblages from the 1976-1978 excavation seasons. This was facilitated by the large area excavated and the fact that all lithics and most bones larger than 2.5 mm were recorded using three dimensional coordinates. Examining the refitted flint sequences highlights the use of variable technological systems, including the Levallois unidirectional convergent method. Use wear on the ground stone tools suggests they were used for knapping as well as food processing, and the faunal assemblage reflects a wide range of species that were consumed on-site. By combining lithic refitting studies and spatial mapping of artefact and bone distribution using GIS, we have dissected the occupation history and demonstrate that the living floor defined during the excavations actually consists of at least two different occupation events, that partially overlap in the central area of the site. This analysis demonstrates that Far'ah II was probably a favoured locality, revisited by Middle Palaeolithic hominins due to its proximity to a rich mosaic of habitats.

'Whitestone' is a characteristic raw material in the Late Neolithic (Tisza and Lengyel culture) polished stone tool (chisel, adze, macehead) archaeological record in Southern Hungary. However, the lithology-the technical term not reflecting a petrographic definition-needs detailed petrographic-analytical investigations (by optical microscopy, PGAA, and SEM-EDS) to determine the exact rock types and to connect them to specific geological sources. This article identifies the main types of 'whitestone' and, furthermore, focuses on the predominant 'silicified magnesite' type and the secondary 'silicified limestone/dolomite' type. Based on our results, both types originated from the alteration of serpentinized ultramafic assemblages, most probably from the closest magnesitic alteration zones of serpentinite outcrops in Serbia. Thus, the most possible provenance of the Late Neolithic 'whitestone' polished stone tools is the Serbian magnesite. These lithologies are in the territory of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture, which was engaged in mass production of 'whitestone' tools. This fact indicates the strong relationship of that population with the Tisza and Lengyel communities.

The lithic artefacts from Altheim, being regarded as essential for the interpretation of the site, have for a very long time attracted attention. Here we concentrate on the discoveries made during the excavation of sections of ditches in 2013-2020. Certain earlier observations were confirmed by the latest excavations, namely the high proportion of arrowheads among the flaked stone tools. A large number of the arrowheads were burnt. Many of them have broken tips, and all the analysed arrowheads with broken tips bear diagnostic impact fractures: stepterminating bending fractures or spin-off fractures specifically in the shape of small fractures on the edge between one surface of the arrowhead and the surface of the fracture of the tip. These suggest an angle of impact of the arrow into a hard surface of about 60°-70°. Broken and burnt arrowheads were found in the solid context of the structures. The context suggest that these arrowheads can be connected with conflict.

During test excavations at CA-KER-2720 in the southern San Joaquin Valley, an intact cache containing several categories of artifacts was discovered. The cache contained charmstones and stone beads, plus tools that may have been used for the manufacture of such items. The cache and its contents are described and discussed.

Este trabajo representa un punto de partida para problematizar el rol del color en las estrategias de comunicación y otros ámbitos de los grupos cazadores recolectores del centrooeste de Santa Cruz (Argentina). A partir del análisis de la producción édita e inédita del equipo de investigación al que las autoras pertenecen, se realiza una sistematización inicial de los hallazgos de objetos móviles con sustancias colorantes y muestras de pigmentos en los sitios arqueológicos de la región. De esta manera, se genera una base de datos a través de la cual se logra una primera caracterización general de los mismos en distintos soportes y contextos. Se evalúa la distribución espacial y temporal de estos materiales y luego se la contrasta con la de las pinturas rupestres ya descritas en otros artículos. Se concluye que las evidencias analizadas se encuentran ampliamente distribuidas en la región de estudio, asociados a diversos tipos de sitios y a cronologías principalmente tardías y que en su mayoría no se encontrarían directamente vinculadas a los emplazamientos de las pinturas rupestres. Así, se busca dar inicio a un abordaje sistemático del color y mostrar la relevancia de su estudio a fin de complementar y profundizar en las discusiones sobre circulación de información construidas a partir del estudio de las representaciones rupestres.

Late Mousterian lithic technology remains poorly known in Italy. The traditional typological approach still permeates the literature, and most technological analyses focus on the "transition" to the Upper Palaeolithic. In this paper, we provide new data about the behavior of the last Neandertals who inhabited Tyrrhenian western Italy. Lithic assemblages from two well-known sites e Riparo Mochi (Grimaldi caves, Balzi Rossi area, Liguria) and Grotta Breuil (Monte Circeo, Lazio) e have been technologically and functionally analyzed. The results are discussed and compared to other data such as fauna, chronology, and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The data reveals a highly dynamic world where behavioral changes were rapid in time and characterized by strong differences in territorial exploitation.

This study presents a discriminant analysis of projectile points (n = 44) from late Holocene contexts (~3100-400 cal BP) in the Argentine Andes (29-37°S). About two thousand years ago, the groups that inhabited the regions north and south of 34°S began divergent cultural histories. To the north, groups developed mixed economies that included domestic plants and animals. To the south, Patagonian hunters maintained their nomadic lifestyle until European contact. This study explores the geographic vectors and pace of the initial spread of the bow and arrow, if the bow replaced or coexisted with other weapon systems, and how these trends differed north and south of 34°S. We use Shott's formula to metrically distinguish darts and arrows. Current data suggest that the bow was an innovation in the central Andes that rapidly spread south along the Andes to around 29°S at 3500-3000 cal BP. At this point, the tempo slowed dramatically. It was adopted by groups at 32°S around 1300 cal BP. At 37°S it arrived shortly after 1000 cal BP. Over the next two to three centuries, it was rapidly adopted by more sedentary food-producing groups north of 34°S as well as more mobile hunter-gatherers to the south. There is no evidence the bow was ever abandoned once adopted, and except in the case of Patagonia, it seems to have replaced previous weapon systems. This speaks to its versatility regardless of ecology, economic system, or cultural preferences.

Given the importance of the Levant in understanding the origins and dispersals of modern humans, there has been great interest in archaeological evidence to support population movements between the Levant and adjacent regions. The link, if any, between the Aurignacian tradition across Europe and the "Levantine Aurignacian" is a particular focus. Ksar Akil in Lebanon not only is one of the most deeply stratified Levantine sites but also has the longest record of Upper Paleolithic behaviors, so it is a benchmark to which developments in the Levant are often compared. Schmidt and Zimmermann ( ) recently proposed that the European Aurignacian tradition might best be understood in terms of connectivity, as evidenced by long-distance lithic transfers that can act as a proxy for mobility and social networks. Here we document a previously unreported obsidian burin from Ksar Akil. Portable X-ray fluorescence reveals that it matches a source ≥700 km away on foot in central Turkey. Two recent dating programs have calculated ages of ~41-38 and ~39-37 ka cal BP for its layer, which also included an obsidian flake and immediately precedes the Levantine Aurignacian at the site. The obsidian artifacts from Ksar Akil are roughly contemporaneous obsidian from Yabroud Rockshelter II in Syria and Shanidar Cave in Iraq. Such instances of long-distance obsidian transport imply that connectivity might have risen ahead of the Levantine and Zagros Aurignacian. Unfortunately, due to the limited chronological resolution of older excavations at these sites, only at Ksar Akil can we have confidence that the layer containing obsidian artifacts immediately precedes the earliest Levantine Aurignacian sensu stricto layer. Given the apparent rarity of obsidian in the Levant, this region will benefit from endeavors to nondestructively source other toolstone materials as a means to create datasets similar to those recently used to model cultural areas of the European Aurignacian.

Збірник, присвячений 35-річчю Музею зб. наук. ст.  / [під ред. В. Бендеровського, Я. Риженка, М. Гавриленка]; Полтав. держ. музей ім. В. Г. Короленка. – Полтава: 1-ша раддрукарня «Полтава-поліграф», 1928. – Т. І. – 296 с.: 82 іл., 8 табл.
Ювілейний збірник наукових статей, присвячений 35-річчю музею, що містить історичний нарис закладу, огляд природничих, археологічних, етнографічних, мистецьких, історико-промислових збірок музею, характеристику музейного гербарію та зібрання Художньої галереї музею, добірку праць із вивчення природи Полтавщини. З-поміж авторів статей та публікацій – відомі полтавські музейники – Я. Риженко, М. Гавриленко, М. Рудинський, М. Бокій, І. Іллічевський та ін. /
Almanach Dedicated to the 35th Anniversary of the Museum: Collection of Scientific Articles / [Ed. by V. Benderovsky, Y. Ryzhenko, M. Gavrilenko]; The Vasyl Krychevskyi Poltava Museum of Local Lore. – Poltava: 1st Soviet Printing House "Poltava-Polygraph," 1928. – Vol. I. – 296 p.: 82 ill., 8 tables.
A jubilee collection of scientific articles dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the museum, containing a historical overview of the institution, a review of the museum's natural history, archaeological, ethnographic, artistic, and historical-industrial collections, a description of the museum's herbarium, and a selection of works on the study of the nature of Poltava region. Among the authors of the articles and publications are prominent Poltava museum experts such as Y. Ryzhenko, M. Gavrilenko, M. Rudinsky, M. Bokiy, I. Illichevsky, and others.

A crucial design feature of language useful for determining when grammatical language evolved in the human lineage is our ability to combine meaningless units to form a new unit with meaning (combinatoriality) and to further combine these meaningful units into a larger unit with a novel meaning (compositionality). There is overlap between neural bases that underlie hierarchical cognitive functions required for compositionality in both linguistic and nonlinguistic contexts (e.g., tool use). Therefore, evidence of compositional tool use in the archaeological record should signify, at the very least, the cognitive capacity for grammatical language by that point in time. We devise a novel system to evaluate the level of hierarchical nesting of tool components in single tool use activities. In the application of this system, we demonstrate that nonhuman primates, and by extension, the last common ancestor shared by Pan and Homo, are capable of basic combinatoriality; however, their technology does not approach the compositionality observable in modern human tool use. The prehistoric archaeological record supports a continuous evolution of combinatorial tool use into compositional tool use, with evidence for human-like levels of by 0.93 million years ago (Ma), or possibly as early as 1.7 Ma. While compositional language could have lagged behind compositional tool use, if language and technology coevolved according to the Technological Origin for Language hypothesis, which proposes a feedback system between the two, then evidence for hierarchical tool use structures implies a similar level of complexity in linguistic structures.

Our collective understanding of human cognition and linguistic evolution is largely dependent on inferences drawn from the experimental replication of Stone Age tools by human subjects in Western society. However, the stone-knapping behaviors of great apes may serve as a more realistic model for reconstructing the toolmaking actions of (pre)Oldowan hominins, who were, in many ways, more ape-like than human-like. This study investigated whether the stone reduction behaviors of apes fall within the range of experienced modern humans. The actions of two bonobos while engaged in making stone flakes were coded by two raters and compared to five experienced human knappers using a correspondence analysis. We found that the actions associated with the bonobo-made tools cluster together and are distinct from the actions associated with the human-made tools, despite both species producing similar products (i.e., choppers and flakes). The most discriminating behaviors associated with the bonobo-made tools include holding the hammerstone in their left hand, holding the hammerstone above the shoulder before striking, supporting the core on both the hand and foot or on the ground, a secant angle of percussion, and an impact ___location deep beyond the edge of the core. Additionally, the bonobos’ tools are associated with negative percussion results (e.g., a strike that fails to produce a flake). These results demonstrate the possibility for equifinality in how Stone Age tools were made, which calls into question our reliance on human subjects for making inferences about the evolution of technological, cognitive, and linguistic behaviors of our hominin ancestors.

Funding for this study was provided by a Pre-Tenure Faculty Initiative Grant from Illinois State University.

The distribution of ancient obsidian utensils is one of the few ways to trace trades during the Neolithic. Such material is suitable for provenance investigations due to the rarity of volcanic sources where magmatic rocks solidify as amorphous. Although obsidian provenance investigations base on chemical analysis, also chemical-physical properties revealed efficacious to relate tool fragments and geological deposits and during the last decades several studies have demonstrated that magnetic properties are useful too [1]. In the amorphous matrix, crystal grains have different compositions, distributions, and diameter dimensions. Some contain iron and their magnetic behaviour can be studied to highlight differences in distribution and size of ferrous particles through the associated magnetic state. The properties of 20 obsidian artefacts found in the Neolithic site of Via Guidorossi (Parma, Italy) have been investigated [2]. Magnetic grain-size analyses were performed including the me...

The use of stone hammers to produce sharp stone flakes-knapping-is thought to represent a significant stage in hominin technological evolution because it facilitated the exploitation of novel resources, including meat obtained from medium-to-large-sized vertebrates. The invention of knapping may have occurred via an additive (i.e., cumulative) process that combined several innovative stages. Here, we propose that one of these stages was the hominin use of 'naturaliths,' which we define as naturally produced sharp stone fragments that could be used as cutting tools. Based on a review of the literature and our own research, we first suggest that the 'typical' view, namely that sharp-edged stones are seldom produced by nonprimate processes, is likely incorrect. Instead, naturaliths can be, and are being, endlessly produced in a wide range of settings and thus may occur on the landscape in far greater numbers

The sites of Riss-Wurmian and especially Wurmian age with bifacial pieces are significantly represented on the territory of the Eastern Europe.  The great majority of them are known in the Southern area of East European Plain and in the Crimea. Different terms are involved for description of assemblages under discussion, namely: Eastern Micoquian, Mousterian with Acheulean Tradition, East Micoquian and Bockstein Facies, Bifacial Mousterian, Bifacial Mousterian with Micoquian Tradition etc. The term "Eastern Micoquian", proposed by M. Gâbori (GÂBORI 1976) seems to be the most preferable among them. Stratified sites with bifacial tools are specifically numerous in the Crimea. It allows us to regard certain aspects of Eastern Micoquian problem using new data on Crimean MP.

The authors present results from a new research project focusing on the prehistory of the area surrounding a vast flint outcrop in Mongolia, called Tsakhiurtyn Hundi, in the borderland between the Gobi-Altai Mountains and Gobi Desert. They present the discovery of a cave and the results of its exploration, confirming its use by Pleistocene hunter-gatherers.

This article presents the results of the technological analysis of the lithic assemblage associated with southern proto-Je ceramics from Ilha das Pedras shell mound, located in the coast of the state of Parana, southern Brazil. The aims were to identify the techniques employed in knapping different raw materials and to identify which activities involved in the production of the lithic artifacts were performed at the Ilha das Pedras shell mound. Based on this information, we discuss the characteristics of unipolar and bipolar milky quartz flakes and compare the sample from the lithic assemblage of Ilha das Pedras with the lithic industries of other sambaquis, associated or not with ceramics.

Delrapport 2 Kjelsvika I: Boplassfunn fra eldre og yngre steinalder, eldre bronsealder og eldre jernalder, samt spor etter transgresjon G. Reitan Kjelsvika I Steinalderlokalitet Kokegroper (Transgresjon) C56458 3 Delrapport 3 Kjelsvika III: Boplassfunn fra eldre og yngre steinalder, og eldre jernalder, samt rydningsrøysfelt G. Reitan Kjelsvika III Steinalderlokalitet Rydningsrøysfelt Kokegroper C56459 4 Delrapport 4 Kjelsvika IV: Boplassfunn fra eldre bronsealder, yngre steinalder og eldre jernalder, samt dyrkningslag fra eldre bronsealder G. Reitan Kjelsvika IV Boplassspor fra bronsealder Dyrkningslag Kokegroper C55979 5 Delrapport 5 Kjelsvika V, VI og VII: 3 steinalderlokaliteter, dyrkningslag fra eldre bronsealder, og kokegroper fra jernalder

This paper reports on the work carried out during the 2009 field season of the prehistory sub-theme of the Desert Migrations Project. The work consisted of detailed survey and small-scale excavations in two wadis that drain the Messak Settafet, near the town of Jarma. Both wadis were found to contain evidence of Palaeolithic and Neolithic occupation, as well as of having been used as migratory routes between the Ubari and Murzuq sand seas. One of the wadis (WJAR-E-O1) was surveyed intensely along a few kilometers of its tributary margins. This revealed archaeological material ranging from Oldowan (Mode 1) to historic. The distribution of the various industries and structures had a distinct spatial patterning; the Palaeolithic scatters were spatially discrete, but Holocene remains were often found superimposed on earlier industries. Among the finds were a spatially discrete Oldowan assemblage, an extensive Acheulean industry which included the exploitation of fossil wood as a raw mat...

La propuesta que se presenta a continuación plantea la aplicación de herramientas informáticas para el análisis y clasificación morfométrica de la cultura material cerámica (reconstrucción tridimensional de los materiales cerámicos y cálculo de los volúmenes de contenido) proveniente de excavaciones arqueológicas realizadas en la localidad de Guayacas, localizada a 7 kilómetros del Río Uruguay, sobre las márgenes del Río Daymán. Asimismo, muestra la viabilidad en la producción de modelos digitales tridimensionales basados en clasificaciones previas y colecciones de referencia existentes para la región, como un aporte a la discusión sobre la funcionalidad (usos) de los recipientes cerámicos.

RESUMEN. Se estudiaron diversas muestras de circulacibn comercial, expendidas como "suplementos dietéticos". En este trabajo se discute su estructura microscópica en relación con su origen botánico. Asimismo se presentan las aplicaciones etnobotánicas de distintas especies del género AmorphophaUus en su región de origen. SUMMARY. "Microscopical Analysis of 'diet aids' made of Amorphophallus konjac K. Koch Glucomannan". Commercial samples, known as "diet aids", have been studied. Their microscopical structure is here discussed in relation with their botanical origin. Ethnobotanical applications of different species of genus Amorphophallus in their origin areas are also presented.