Using lithic technological organization theory, a mass analysis after ahler 1989. Our techniques consist of the latest in scientific research design and traditional technological approaches. Institute of archaeology, ucl and lithic analysis will be conducted by rayan. Your data and research questions are our top priority and each project is matched with the best methods of analysis. Procedures by which archaeological stone tools have been analyzed have tra. The acheulean of central spain is well known from a handful of sites. By continuing to browse this site you agree to us using cookies as described in about cookies. Leroigourhan, advocated a more heuristic approach focusing on a shorter time depth, especially within the upper paleolithic, taking into account habitat. In fact, we are often forced to use ranking functions into wellorders that are much more complex than the natural numbers. The journal of lithic studies is an open access journal. This tells us about different kinds of activities, trade and technology.
For years no such manual existed, but recently the ice has been bro ken by bill andrefskys lithics. Rarely, however, are these assemblages subject to systematic technological and morphological analyses. This book is a fully updated and revised edition of william andrefsky, jr. Luckily, once a suitable ranking function has been found, checking validity is. If you are interested in lithic analysis, the holdaway and stern, andrefsky, odell and inizan are good. In my work as a lithics specialist, this situation has consequently led to the inclusion of a short sec tion defining the main lithic categories in every re port or catalogue. Engraved stone artefacts from neolithic south india dolerite. Luckily, once a suitable ranking function has been found, checking validity is in practice fairly easy. Ucl discovery is ucls open access repository, showcasing and providing access to ucl research outputs from all ucl disciplines. It is designed to encourage research dealing with various aspects of lithic analysis including technological typological studies, experimental replications and microwear studies. Reduction sequence, chaine operatoire, and other methods. University of kent a statistical examination of flake edge angles produced during experimental lineal levallois. Perhaps the best way to examine the manufacturing process is to understand the various procedures and strategies knappers employed to gain control over the.
Specifically, aoyama focuses on detailed usewear analysis of stone tools by employing highpower microscopy to address production, warfare, and the domestic and ritual lives of the maya. Alternative approaches to lithic analysis henry 1990. There are a number of books that provide a good introduction to lithic technology, terminology, and methods of analysis. University of east anglia, pat critchley ucl, sal garfi, andrew. The raw material is described, and where it might have been obtained. The course is intended to focus on a specific site, a. Binford and his paper a proposed attribute list for the description and. Odell very clearly outlines and defines all major types of stone tools, provides examples of the forms of production waste, usewear, and other archaeological traces. Experimental archaeology, lithic analysis, flintknapping. Odells manual on lithic analysis is a must for anyone working in archaeology, particularly in any culture or region where stone tool technology was a part of cultural practices. Ucl discovery is ucl s open access repository, showcasing and providing access to ucl research outputs from all ucl disciplines.
He provides descriptions and discussion of over ten thousand lithic artifacts from the aguateca site, which was a center of both utilitarian and luxury goods. Pdf arch 332 lithic technology syllabus 2008 george. The laboratory has facilities that enable all steps of stone artefact studies to be carried out. A framework robert allen mahaney indiana university, usa research into the cognitive foundations of lithic technology has been increasingly proli. Southamptons ma in ceramic and lithic analysis for archaeologists draws on the expertise of staff working on all archaeological periods, across the world. Analyses of lithic assemblages in florida and elsewhere have. An extensive and expanded glossary makes this book an invaluable reference for all archaeologists. Lithic analysis, while still ongoing, indicates that these areas contain a. For those of you who wish to try your hand at flint knapping, then whittaker is a useful reference.
In archaeology, lithic analysis is the analysis of stone tools and other chipped stone artifacts using basic scientific techniques. The lithics laboratory is a new graduate research facility in the institute of archaeology ucl, which opened in 2009. Lithic identification and analysis purpose the purpose of this class is to give members of the arizona archaeological society a working knowledge of, and the ability to, identify and sort lithic materials found in arizona. Example of a microscopic image on red chert ppl x 100. Contemporary lithic analysis in the southeast university. Pdf editorial second year and running strong otis norman crandell 12 pdf html research articles. Lithic analysis is the study of those objects, and can entail things like determining where the stone was quarried called sourcing, when the stone was worked such as obsidian hydration, what kind of technology was used to make the stone tool flint knapping and heattreatment, and what evidence there is of the tools use usewear or residue studies.
Pdf experimentation in the formation of edge damage. Pdf mass and attribute analysis of the quartz lithic assemblage. The ritual uses of lithic raw materials during the woodland period. If you miss class you should get notes for the missed lecture from one of your classmates. At its most basic level, lithic analyses involve an analysis of the artifacts morphology, the measurement of various physical attributes, and examining other visible features such as noting the presence or absence of cortex, for example.
I hope you enjoy this journey into lithic analysis. Designed for students and professional archaeologists, this highly illustrated book explains the fundamental principles of the measurement, recording and analysis of stone tools and stone tool production debris. Knowing which types were used is important for understanding human selection and modes of acquisition. Introducing the reader to lithic raw materials, classification, terminology and key concepts, the book comprehensively explores methods and techniques, presenting detailed case studies of lithic analysis from around the world. Lithic analysis raw materials a variety of lithic material can be used to create stone artefacts. Here are resources to help you make effective use of instructional resources and tools the campus makes available within ccle and outside to meet the immediate challenges introduced by covid19. Understand the ways in which lithics as a form of material culture inform us about the human past. Inclusion of a section of defini tions has been chosen by other colleagues e. Lithics macroscopic approaches to analysis lithics, the practice of stone artifact analysis, has undergone many changes in recent years with the developmentof new techniques of analysis andthe assessmentof older techniques. These can take the form of analysis of an archaeological or experimental assemblage.
Lithic analysis raw materials university of lethbridge. These are good books, and can profitably be employed by fledgling lithic analysts. Ucl institute of archaeology 1,802 words exact match in snippet view article find links to article laboratories for conservation teaching and research, gis, photography, lithic analysis and for environmental teaching and research activities. Table 73 quiz b occupation and lithic and quartz experience. Therefore, a short summary of stone tool production and the range of lithic artefacts among ceramic age sites within the region needs to be presented. Pdf the paper describes a series of experiments recently carried out to test the.
This fully updated and revised edition of william andrefsky jrs groundbreaking manual on lithic analysis is designed for students and professional archaeologists. The lithics lab institute of archaeology ucl london. Engraved stone artefacts from neolithic south india signs of life. Contemporary lithic analysis in the southeast university of. The importance of archaeological science should be re. Dec 31, 2003 for years no such manual existed, but recently the ice has been bro ken by bill andrefskys lithics. Representing work by a mixture of veterans and a new generation of lithic analysts, contemporary lithic analysis in the southeast explores fresh ideas while reworking and pushing the limits of traditional methods and hypotheses. The university college london university of khartoum ncam expedition to. Lycett university of missouri and cleveland museum of natural history. After shuffling through literally thousands of stones and asking hundreds of questions, the neophite even tually reaches a level at which he or she can fly solo, requiring less. Lithic analysis workshop purpose this is an introductory workshop in the study of lithic artifacts. Lithic technological organization in the three rivers region of the maya lowlands abstract by david michael hyde, m. However, evolutionary cognitive archaeologyeca lacks anexplicit theoretical framework.
It will provide an uptodate synthesis of the analysis of lithic tools and debitage for members of the arizona archaeological society who are enrolled in the certification program. Pdf recent developments in the analysis of lithic artifacts. Problems, solutions, and interpretations john edward dockall 157158 pdf. We will introduce you to a wide range of approaches, supported by a suite of dedicated laboratories, and excellent archaeological and ethnographic artefact. Raw materials can be classified on the basis of composition, the chemical makeup of the rock, and. Lithic technology is the leading refereed serial publication for the study of ancient stone tools and technology.
This practical volume does not intend to replace a mentor, but acts as a readily accessible guide to the basic tools of lithic analysis. Recognise and understand lithic technologies characteristic of the stone agepalaeolithic and neolithic periods be familiar with the analytical and theoretical approaches used in lithic analysis. The book was awarded the 2005 saa award for excellence in archaeological analysis. Chapter 3 also presents the results of a database of quartz lithic artefacts constructed at the outset of this project. The waste flakes from making stone tools are also sorted. First season of the ucl uok ncam expedition to the southern. This book is a fully updated and revised edition of william andrefsky jrs groundbreaking manual on lithic analysis.
Students will be expected to conduct an analysis of stone artifacts in order to understand a. Lithic technology institute of archaeology ucl londons global university close. Lithic analysis might sort artifacts into different kinds of stone tools, such as knives, points, drills. The subject is broadly conceived, and includes manufacture, use, form, and sources of lithic artifacts. I would highly suggest that any person who wishes to fully study the lithic terms in this glossary first obtain and study the wonderful work of lewis r. This thesis presents the results of an investigation into the lithic technological organization as they relate to the political, social, and economic. Rather than bore you with an exhibit rife with simple and boring stories of how archaeologists do their lithic research, i have decided to present the findings of a few articles with you to show you how lithic research is conducted and why it is important. This module introduces students to the analysis of stone tools in theory and practice. Keywords mesolithic 4 mobility 4 settlement 4 lithics 4 ethnography 4 models 4. It explains the fundamental principles of the measurement, recording and analysis of stone tools and stone tool production debris. It is currently one of the largest centres for the study of archaeology, cultural heritage and museum studies in the world, with over 100 members of staff and 600 students housed in a 1950s building on the north side of. Examining how analysts identify and classify quartz artefacts. Macroscopic approaches to analysis, and brian kooymans understanding stone toolsand archaeological sites.
All material is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4. Lithic analysis usewear archaeology university of exeter. This course provides an introduction to the various dimensions of lithic technology, which is that aspect of archaeology concerned with the production, use, analysis, and interpretation of stone tools. Procedures for lithic analysis understanding and depicting all aspects of a technological system should properly begin with the methods of manufacture themselves.
For the 11 participants with substantial quartz experience 36% work in australia, 27% in scandinavia, with rest working in britain or north america and most were educated where they work two listed more than one work location including africa, india, and france. The course is intended to focus on a specific site, a series of related sites, or a region of the state. In lithic analysis, the main criteria of change have been the. The teaching of archaeological field techniques key evidence for archaeological research questions. This thesis represents a sitespecific, holistic analysis of faunal assemblage formation at four key palaeolithic sites boxgrove, swanscombe, hoxne and lynford. Typology, bipolar and direct percussion core and debitage artefacts. View experimental archaeology, lithic analysis, flintknapping research papers on academia. Procedures by which archaeological stone tools have been analyzed have tradition ally operated on an apprenticeship model, whereby a novice acquires competency at the elbow of a grizzled but revered expert in the field.
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