Technology of Knapped Stone

The existence of a knapped stone industry using several volcanic and metamorphic rocks during the Late Neolithic south of the Upper Rhine plain (first half of the 4th millennium), in particular in Basse Alsace (Michelsberg and Munzingen cultures), has long been emphasized. Particular production was made of artefacts in pale hyperacidic rhyolite found in deposits in the valley of the Nideckbach affluent of the River Bruche in Bas-Rhin. Currently, 47 chronologically certain Neolithic pieces in pale rhyolite have been found on the sites of six settlements in Basse Alsace. Use of this material increased from the mid-to late Michelsberg/Munzingen transition, then fell off at the time of the Munzingen B and C. Production revolved around the extraction of splinters that are clearly longer than they are wide. The supports produced are relatively standardized and display the same simplified and technically sophisticated operating modes. The pieces created seem to have been strongly conditioned by the morphology of the fragments and constraints imposed by the knappability of the rhyolite. Whatever their morphology, the fragments were mostly turned into scrapers. The thinnest may have been sought for their cutting edge. The exploitation of volcanic and metamorphic rocks, associated with a more frequent use of local Muschelkalk flint, may have been the result of a strong reduction in the importation of good quality flint in this region at the start of the Late Neolithic.

This article describes an excavation of a quarry area and associated workshop, located at Oturehua in Central Otago, for the production of prepared-core prismatic blades made from silcrete using a hard hammer-stone. Of the 290 m 2 area laid out, the most instructive part was in an area of 60 m 2. Each 1 m square was divided into 25 sub-squares and all finds were recorded by these sub-squares. Of the 14,015 flakes recovered, those heavier than 2 g (n = 6348) were labelled with Indian ink and laid out in their original position on a gridded laboratory floor. Over a 12-month period, flakes were matched and glued together to reconstruct a series of cores to understand the procedures involved in blade-making. Although the focus of the artisans was on producing macro-blades, the lengths of blades produced varied from 33 mm to 230 mm. One small spent nucleus was recovered, which was fluted on all sides and measured 65 mm high. Two charcoal samples from different parts of the site gave median radiocarbon dates of cal. ad 1138 (twigs) and cal. ad 1137 (flecks).

Lithic Studies: Anatolia and Beyond aims to show networks of cultural interactions by focusing on the latest lithic studies from Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans, bringing to the forefront the connectedness and techno-cultural continuity of knapped and ground stone technologies. Lithic studies are mostly conducted on a site by site basis, and specialist studies on lithics tend to focus primarily on technology and typology. As a result, information acquired through lithic research is presented as the identifier of the particular site with the addition of brief local correlations. This creates isolated islands of information. This volume is intended to bring these islands together to build the bigger picture, showcasing the fluidity of technological change, transitional cultural developments, and cultural formation by focusing on the interrelations between sites, localities and regions. Individually and collectively the wide range of papers in the volume give perspectives on Neolithization as seen through stone technologies, highlighting both regional trends and interregional relationships. The volume lays the foundations for creating an integrated understanding of Neolithic lithic technologies across the broad geographical regions of Turkey, Greece and the Balkans.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία χωρίζεται σε δύο αλληλένδετα μέρη: Το πρώτο μέρος είναι μια βιβλιογραφική προσέγγιση και αφορά επιφανειακές έρευνες που έχουν διεξαχθεί διαχρονικά στην περιοχή της Ηπείρου και σχετίζονται με την Παλαιολιθική Εποχή. Ασχολήθηκα με τις πρώτες εξορμήσεις-περιηγήσεις στην περιοχή της Ηπείρου μέχρι και τις τελευταίες σύγχρονες συστηματικές επιφανειακές έρευνες. Το δεύτερο μέρος είναι συμπληρωματικό του πρώτου και αποτελεί μια μελέτη λίθινων τεχνέργων που προέρχονται από επιφανειακές έρευνες. Συγκεκριμένα, το υλικό προέρχεται από μια επιφανειακή έρευνα του Πανεπιστημίου του Cambridge υπό τη διεύθυνση του καθηγητή Geoff Bailey, στα πλαίσια του Klithi Project. Η έρευνα έγινε το 1987 στο βόρειο τμήμα της Ηπείρου, και συγκεκριμένα δυτικά της βραχοσκεπής Κλειδί, στην πεδιάδα της Κόνιτσας και στις λεκάνες του Καλαμά και του Γορμού, καθώς και στις παράκτιες περιοχές προς την Ηγουμενίτσα. Το υλικό αυτό βρίσκεται στις αποθήκες του Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου Ιωαννίνων και το κατέταξα σύμφωνα με μορφολογικά και τεχνολογικά κριτήρια/χαρακτηριστικά.
Η μελέτη του παραπάνω υλικού είναι μια παρουσίαση ενδεικτικών ευρημάτων από διαφορετικές περιοχές της Ηπείρου. Στόχοι της εργασίας μου είναι να παρουσιάσω συνοπτικά, όπου είναι δυνατόν, την εκάστοτε μεθοδολογία αλλά και τα κριτήρια επιλογής των θέσεων προς διερεύνηση μαζί με τα αποτελέσματα αυτών των ερευνών (ευρήματα, συμπεράσματα, ερωτήματα) και τους περιορισμούς που προέκυψαν. Επιπλέον, ο σχολιασμός της πυκνότητας των λίθινων τεχνέργων, όπως αυτά έχουν προκύψει από τις επιφανειακές έρευνες στην Ήπειρο, από τα μέσα περίπου του 20ου αιώνα μέχρι και σήμερα. Ακόμη, ζητούμενο είναι η κατηγοριοποίηση των θέσεων με λίθινα τέχνεργα, ανάλογα με τον τόπο εντοπισμού τους (υψόμετρο, απόσταση από τη θάλασσα και γεωμορφολογικός χαρακτήρας). Τέλος επιχείρησα μια συνολική αξιολόγηση αυτών των επιφανειακών ερευνών, με σκοπό να παρουσιάσω τον τρόπο με τον οποίο αυτές έχουν συνεισφέρει στα Παλαιολιθικά δεδομένα της Ηπείρου και του ευρύτερου Ελλαδικού χώρου.

English Abstract

This study examines the Palaeolithic surveys that have been carried out in Epirus from 1962 up to 2015. One of the reasons I chose Epirus as the area of my research is because it is probably the most examined area in Paleolithic excavations and surveys in Greece. More specifically, the majority of the Palaeolithic surface material of Epirus comes from five surveys/projects each one with its own strategies, aims and results. The first part of this study is literature-based and the second part consists of a material study. The literature-based part has four main aims:
a) An overview (where it’s possible) of each project strategies and the criteria of the regions to be surveyed along with the results of those projects (finds, conclusions, questions) and the limitations that have appeared
b) A comment on the density of the surface lithic artifacts as they have emerged from the surveys in Epirus from the 1960s until 2019
c) To categorize the sites with the lithic artifacts in relation to the location of their discovery (altitude, distance from the coast and the geomorphological character of each site)
d) An evaluation/synopsis of those surveys in order to reveal in what extend they have contributed in the Palaeolithic data of Epirus and Greece.
This study is divided in two main pillars.
The first pillar refers to the bibliographical approach and concerns the surveys that have taken place in Epirus and are associated with the Palaeolithic period. In particular, it examines the first expeditions/excursion in Epirus up until the recent modern systematic surveys it doesn’t conclude however the individual and the lower scale surveys. The second pillar is supplementary to the first and comprises a lithic material study of artifacts that come from a survey. Therefore it is aimed through the material study and publishing of as yet unpublished material to fill up the remaining gaps in the Palaeolithic data of Epirus. Particularly, the material comes from surveys and investigations of the Cambridge University under the supervision of Geoff Bailey during the Klithi Project. In 1987 a survey has been undertaken in the northern region of Epirus, west of Klithi area, in the basins of Konitsa, Kalamas and Gormos and the coastal region extending towards Igoumenitsa. This survey was in a great percentage complementary to the first expedition during the 1960s. The main goals of this survey were to re-examine the trenches along with the collection of new samples for chronological analysis, to improve the palaeogeographical approaches that Eric Higgs originate and to study the off-site data through interdisciplinary methods.

Data do século XVIII a talvez mais antiga descrição de um artefacto neolítico de pedra lascada encontrado em território português. Trata-se de uma lâmina de sílex recolhida numa anta dos arredores de Ruivós (Sabugal), cuja descrição consta de um manuscrito de 1761 da autoria do Padre José Gaspar Simões. Os detalhes, fornecidos por F.A. Pereira da Costa (1868, p. 88-89), são elucidativos: “[...] e mandando cavar ao pé da entrada, para o círculo, que está entre as duas pedras na parte do nascente, em tres ou quatro palmos de fundo se achou un silice de comprimento de um palmo e tres dedos, e de largo um dedo, pouca grossura e meio curvo na sua factura”. Atualmente, porém, o conhecimento de que se dispõe sobre o talhe da pedra nas diversas fases da Pré-História recente do nosso País é ainda profundamente lacunar.

The Late Pleistocene sites from Ushki Lake (Kamchatka) are among the most important sites for the understanding of the early archaeology of Beringia. This article presents a descriptive technological analysis of the stone-tool productions from Ushki-1 and Ushki-5, focusing on the late Pleistocene microblade component (layer VI). Microblade sites from late Pleistocene northeast Asia and North America represent one of the earliest migration waves to colonize the Americas. This particular technology originated in the Far East before spreading towards Alaska. The understanding of this migration process is thus essential, especially since the discovery of the Swan Point CZ4 microblade industry, the oldest human occupation so far in Alaska.

2018 yılı “Denizli İli Prehistorik Dönem Yüzey Araştırması” proje çalışmamız,
Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü’nün
izni ve Türk Tarih Kurumu’nun maddi destekleri ile 31.08.2018-
11.09.2018 tarihleri arasında gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Between 2005 and 2007 in the wide plato of the Olad Hill in almost 5 acres two bigger Neolithic settlements were excavated from the LPC and the Lengyel Culture. The examination of the excavated chipped stones and their chaine operatoire brought out a closer view for the stone
tool production in both cultures. On the score of this investigation, it can be assumed that in the Late Neolithic Period there was no cultural change. The same technological elements were used in the LPC and in the Lengyel period. Even so, the knappers of this settlement in the Lengyel I period started to use a new raw material: the opal from the vicinity of Kofidisch. They adjusted the extant technological knowledge to prepare this new material.

The aim of this thesis is the study and analysis of a part of the lithic assemblage from the site of Dispilio, a lake settlement located in northwestern Greece. The lithic artifacts that analyzed come from the “building b” in the western sector of the site, dated to the Late Neolithic. The aim of the study of knapped stone artifacts was the reconstruction of the operational sequence. As fas as it concerned, the raw material that was used to produce lithic artifacts was mainly homogenous cherts with great knapping qualities. Microblades and blades were produced with these cherts though indirect and pressure techniques. Following, the blade blanks were transformed into tools according to the raw material and their size. The inhabitants of Neolithic Dispilio used these tools in a wide variety of practices inside and outside the architectural boundaries of the settlement. Precisely, sickles were used for harvesting and arrowheads during hunting outside of the settlement while borers and scrapers for weaving inside “building b”. In the open-air space around “building b”, the final transformation and rejuvenation of the tools was conducted. Finally, regarding to individual and social identities it is proposed that the production and use of the tools was part of a dialectical relation, which constructed part of the prehistoric self.
Στα πλαίσια της εργασίας αυτής πραγματοποιήθηκε η μελέτη ενός μέρους του λίθινου υλικού από το λιμναίο οικισμό του Δισπηλιού στην Καστοριά. Το υλικό που μελετήθηκε προέρχεται από το Κτίριο Β’ του Δυτικού ανασκαφικού τομέα, ενώ χρονολογείται κατά τη Νεότερη Νεολιθική Περίοδο. Η μελέτη της πελεκητής λιθοτεχνίας είχε ως στόχο την ανασύσταση της εγχειρηματικής της αλυσίδας. Αρχικά, εξετάστηκαν οι πρώτες ύλες που χρησιμοποιούνταν για την παραγωγή εργαλείων πελεκητής λιθοτεχνίας, οι οποίες χαρακτηρίζονται ως καλής ποιότητας πυριτόλιθοι με καλές ιδιότητες απόκρουσης ενώ η πλειονότητά τους εντοπίζεται σε άμεση γειτνίαση με τον οικισμό. Οι πυριτόλιθοι αυτοί στη συνέχεια μετατρέπονταν σε μικρολεπίδες και λεπίδες με την τεχνική της έμμεσης κρούσης αλλά και την τεχνική της πίεσης. Ακολούθως, τα υπόβαθρα δέχονταν ανάλογα με την πρώτη ύλη και το μέγεθος τους περεταίρω επεξεργασία και μετατρέπονταν σε εργαλεία. Τα εργαλεία αυτά χρησιμοποιούνταν από τους κατοίκους του Νεολιθικού Δισπηλιού σε πλήθος δραστηριοτήτων εντός και εκτός των οικιστικών ορίων του οικισμού. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, δρεπάνια και αιχμές χρησιμοποιούνταν για το θερισμό και το κυνήγι αντίστοιχα, εκτός οικισμού, ενώ διατρητικά και ξέστρα φαίνεται πως χρησιμοποιούνταν σε δραστηριότητες που είχαν σχέση με την υφαντική στο κτίριο Β’. Στον ανοιχτο χώρου γύρω από το κτίριο Β΄, τα εργαλεία δέχονταν την τελική τους επεξεργασία ή αναδιαμορφώνονταν. Τέλος, προτείνεται πως οι τεχνικές παραγωγής, οι τρόποι χρήσης των εργαλείων και τα ίδια τα εργαλεία θα πρέπει να έπαιζαν κάποιο ρόλο στη διαμόρφωση κοινωνικών και ατομικών ταυτοτήτων στα πλαίσια του οικισμού αυτού.

Auf Einladung des Landkreises Landshut fand die 23. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mesolithikum vom 21.–23.3.2014 im Landratsamt Landshut statt. An der Tagung nahmen mehr als 60 Wissenschaftler, Studierende und an der Mittelsteinzeit interessierte Amateurarchaologen aus Deutschland, Osterreich, Tschechien, Italien, der Schweiz und Danemark teil. Insgesamt wurden 20 Vortrage gehalten. Neben Berichten aus den einzelnen Arbeitsgebieten der Teilnehmer waren das bayerische Mesolithikum und ein Workshop zur Siedlungsplatzdynamik im Mesolithikum Schwerpunkte der Tagung.

Altamura F., 2020. L’archeologia sperimentale di Alberto Carlo Blanc: appunti inediti di un pioniere della Preistoria italiana, in Archeologie sperimentali, 1, pp. 28-35. ISSN 2724-2501
Riassunto: Due documenti inediti dell’archivio Blanc-Aguet a Roma contengono appunti di archeologia sperimentale dello studioso Alberto Carlo Blanc, risalenti ai primi anni ‘50 del secolo scorso. Le annotazioni riguardano la scheggiatura di ciottoli silicei e la percussione di ossa di bue. Queste osservazioni, finalizzate a fornire elementi di confronto per i contesti preistorici indagati da Blanc, anticipano di molti decenni l’ingresso di tali tematiche negli studi archeologici italiani, confermando l’intuito e la lungimiranza scientifica dello studioso.
Abstract: In the early 1950s the archaeologist Alberto Carlo Blanc conducted two experimental studies to obtain comparisons for the prehistoric contexts he was investigating, one focused on knapping flint pebbles, the other on striking ox bones, presumably with a hammerstone. Blanc’s notes, housed in the Blanc-Auget archive in Rome, are presented here for the first time. They attest to his intuition and scientific farsightedness in practicing experimental archaeology many decades before these methodologies entered the field of prehistoric studies in Italy.

(...)
Vértes László 1965-ös régészeti kézikönyvében azt vetette fel, hogy a „Herman Ottó-barlang moustéri származéknak tűnő korai felső paleolit leletei problémáját csak egy hasonló leletanyagot szolgáltató, korszerű módszerrel feltárt új lelőhely oldhatná meg” (VÉRTES 1965a, 179). Ringer Árpád a Miskolc-harsányi elágazás nevű szabad ég alatti lelőhely 1999-es leletmentő ásatása idején olyan őskőkori leletegyüttest tárt fel, mely véleménye szerint a barlang aurignaci leletegyüttesének szabad ég alatti megfelelője (RINGER, 2001a, 100; RINGER, 2002a, 309–310). Erre a következtetésre elsősorban a két leletanyagban viszonylag nagy számban megtalálható (penge-)magkövek techno-tipológiai ismérvei alapján jutott (Ringer Á. szóbeli közlése). Disszertációm témaválasztását e két lelőhely problémaköre és feltételezett egymáshoz való viszonya inspirálta, majd vezette el odáig, hogy kísérletet tegyek a jellemzően felső paleolitikus pengetechnológia fejlődésének vagy megjelenési formáinak egy kisebb föld-rajzi egységen belül történő értelmezésére.
Értekezésem a fentiek alapján a következő, egymással szorosan összefüggő feladatok megoldására törekszik:
1. A Herman Ottó-barlang (KADIĆ 1916; RINGER et al. 2006; KORDOS–SZOLYÁK 2008; SZOLYÁK 2008–2009a; SZOLYÁK 2008–2009b) és a Miskolc-harsányi elágazás lelőhelyeinek, kutatástörténetének, valamint leletegyütteseinek teljességre törekvő bemutatása.
2. A Vértes László által elővezetett és a Ringer Árpád által részletesebben megfogalmazott, a Herman Ottó-barlang kulturális hovatartozására vonatkozó munkahipotézis (VÉRTES 1965a, 179; RINGER, 2001A, 100; RINGER, 2002a, 309–310) részletes felülvizsgálata.
3. Mindkét leletanyag tipológiai (BORDES 1961; DEBÉNATH–DIBBLE 1994; DEMARS–LAURENT 2000; VÉRTES 1965a) és technológiai alapú (INIZIAN et al. 1999; HOLLÓ et al. 2001, 2002, 2004) összehasonlítása a Bükk hegység régiójából ismert további hat, felső paleolit korú – szeletai, aurignaci és gravetti kultúrához sorolt –, barlangi (Istállős-kői-bg., Szeleta-bg.) és szabad ég alatti (Miskolc–Kis-föld, Miskolc–Molotov u. 12–14., Miskolc–Rózsás-hegy, Sajószentpéter–Margit-kapu-dűlő) lelőhely leletegyütteseivel. A technológiai jellemzők összevetésének kiemelt szempontja egyrészt, hogy a kőpengék legyártása az egyes leletanyagokban milyen tényleges műveletsor eredményeként valósult meg, és hogy az elkészült penge-szupportok felhasználása milyen tendenciákat mutat.
4. Az eredmények összegzése a három Bükk hegységi régióra vonatkoztatva a következő kérdések mentén:
a) Léteznek-e olyan pengekészítéshez kapcsolódó technológiai jellegzetességek, melyek segíthetnek megkülönböztetni régészeti kulturális és/vagy kronológiai horizontokat a felső paleolitikumon belül?
b) Beszélhetünk-e a pengetechnológia valódi, nemcsak logikai, de egzakt módon is igazolható fejlődéséről a vizsgált időszakon belül, vagy e technológia alkalmazásának különféle megjelenései függetlenek a kronológiai helyzettől?
c) Kimutatható-e összefüggés egyes technológiai fogások (és ezzel együtt eszköztípusok) és a felhasznált nyersanyagok között?
d) Előmozdíthatták-e, és hogyan, a kőeszköz-készítés során óhatatlanul bekövetkező pattintási hibák az alkalmazott technológia tudatos megváltoztatását, fejlesztését?

L’existence d’une industrie lithique taillee sur diverses roches volcaniques ou metamorphiques dans le Neolithique recent du sud de la plaine du Rhin superieur (premiere moitie du IVe millenaire), notamment en Basse Alsace (cultures de Michelsberg et de Munzingen), a ete soulignee de longue date. Au sein de cette industrie se detache une production d’artefacts en rhyolite hyperacide claire dont les gites ont ete localises dans le vallon du Nideckbach, affluent de la Bruche, dans le Bas-Rhin. Le corpus neolithique en rhyolite claire compte a ce jour 47 pieces, bien calees chronologiquement et issues de six sites d’habitats de Basse Alsace. L’utilisation de ce materiau se developpe essentiellement lors de l’horizon Michelsberg moyen et jusqu’a la transition Michelsberg recent/Munzingen, puis periclite lors du Munzingen B et C. La production est axee sur l’obtention d’eclats pouvant etre clairement allonges. Les supports produits sont relativement heterogenes et trahissent des modes op...

In Asia, the Initial Upper Paleolithic refers to blade-based lithic assemblages that display a specific suite of
features and date back to the beginning of the MIS3. Previously we reported strong similarities between examples from the Siberian Altai and North Mongolia, but little is known about what generates the variability
observed at the assemblage level. The site of Kamenka is particularly relevant to address these issues for several
reasons. First, it documents some of the earliest occurrences of the Upper Paleolithic in the Zabaikal region.
Second, the fast burial of the archaeological layer and the bone preservation provide groundwork to discuss
human subsistence strategies. Third, the dominant raw material sources could be distant and fall outside of the
daily foraging radius. Here we give a closer look at the Kamenka A blade assemblage to model the reduction
sequences. Our analyses confirm that the blade technology fits a conservative definition of the Initial Upper
Paleolithic in Asia. Considering other lines of evidence (such as spatial distribution, or fauna analyses), we
discuss the impact of mobility, site function and raw material procurement strategies on the assemblage composition. We conclude that while some of these parameters may affect the tool types and reduction stages
represented within the assemblage, the blade reduction method does not show substantial differences between
neighboring regions.

Na dvije lokacije nedaleko od Tešnja, Grič-gradina i Grič-potkapina, pored materijala iz
finalnih faza kasnog bronzanog doba otkriveni su i nalazi artefakata od okresanog kamena. Prikupljeno
je ukupno 166 komada. Kako nalazi potiču iz stratigrafski nesigurnih konteksta, njihovo hronološko
opredjeljenje je znatno otežano. Veći dio obje kolekcije je hronološki neosjetljiv, dok se par komada iz
potkapine mogu pripisati kasnom gornjem paleolitu. U ovom radu dati su rezultati tehnološke i tipološke
analize kolekcija.

Auf Einladung des Landkreises Landshut fand die 23. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mesolithikum vom 21.–23.3.2014 im Landratsamt Landshut statt. An der Tagung nahmen mehr als 60 Wissenschaftler, Studierende und an der Mittelsteinzeit interessierte Amateurarchaologen aus Deutschland, Osterreich, Tschechien, Italien, der Schweiz und Danemark teil. Insgesamt wurden 20 Vortrage gehalten. Neben Berichten aus den einzelnen Arbeitsgebieten der Teilnehmer waren das bayerische Mesolithikum und ein Workshop zur Siedlungsplatzdynamik im Mesolithikum Schwerpunkte der Tagung.

In this paper we analyze the polished and knapped stone artefacts discovered in the Noua Culture layer of Negrilești "Curtea Școlii" archaeological site in Galați County. The archaeological site is situated in Negrilești village, on the high terrace of Bârlad stream. The group of stone artefacts consists of  71 items, of which 33 are polished and 38 are knapped. In this analysis, we approach several aspects that contribute to our understanding of the operational sequence of an artefact, from raw material block to discarded item.

The surroundings of the village Mistřice (district of Uherské Hradiště, south Moravia) is, represents, from the viewpoint of current knowledge, the only locality along the river Morava with the occurrence of flint daggers (cf. Šebela 1997, 1998; Šebela–Přichystal 2014, 70, Fig. 2). The fact that there are already three samples of daggers from Mistřice which can be considered men’s weapons showing their social status rather than tools, is even more interesting (Peška 2009, 184). It is a unique concentration especially if we consider the fact that there have been only about fifty daggers found within the whole area of Moravia, and in majority of the cases only one example was identified in the areas of respective localities or villages.
Even though there was a collection of small ceramic objects found with one sample of a dagger, it is not possible to state whether they come from a real archaeological locality or it is simply a single isolated artefact outside the settlement or burial areas. The aim of the article is to introduce technological ad typological analysis of materials of two available flint daggers which has brought along interesting findings concerning materials used as well as production centres, long distance contacts and also the settlements along the middle reaches of the river Morava at the turn of the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age.
From the typological point of view, the first sample (dagger Mistřice II) can be considered a mesial fragment of planar retouching without a haft (Fig. 2:1; 3:1). The dagger was damaged right in the half of its length, its blade part is broken off and the nape is slightly damaged too. Its preserved dimensions are 42×34.5×10 mm and the weigh is 18 grams.
Second artefact (dagger Mistřice III) was completely preserved (Fig. 2:3; 3:2) and from the typological point of view it is something between a dagger without a haft and a leaf-like point (dimensions 50×24×8 mm, weight 9 grams). No determinative division line for its dating has been provided yet and it would be very subjective due to the functional variability and the size and character of raw material. An average length of the points in Middle Europe is about 57.7 mm, though most flint daggers are at least twice as long. Thus the smaller samples could be functionally used both as daggers and, which is more probable, as points of spears and lances.
As for the material this could be identified by its inner structure and the occurrence of microfossils such as silicite from glacial sediments (also erratic silicite or flint from glacial sediments). The artefact from the locality B (Mistřice III) is made of Bavarian plate chert (plattensilex) of the Baiersdorf type.
The occurrence of flint daggers from the erratic flint in the regions east off the river Morava can be connected with the Amber Road and according to the present-day finds with the people with Corded Ware culture and Epi-Corded Carpathian cultural circle. On the other hand, the second sample (dagger Mistřice III) can be connected with the people of the Bell Beaker culture due to the materials used as well as to the technology of production (only the edges of the artefact are retouched).
During the Late Eneolithic period there were several ethnically and culturally different groups living together in the area of the middle reaches of the river Morava having variable contacts with the economic base which is also reflected by respective materials of flint daggers. The analysis of two samples of daggers without hafts (in one case a dagger/point) from Mistřice, proved contacts with different regions and manufacturing centres at the same time in the region of Uherské Hradiště. While the dagger Mistřice II is the undisputable example of northern production, the artefact Mistřice III is, as for technology and material, positively product of a manufacturing area in Lower Bavaria.

Cambay is one of the very rare places in the world where the stone-knapping technique still responds to the principles of the conchoidal fracture. The technique practised is an indirect percussion by counter-blow and is used for making stone beads. This technique is a recent one in the history of techniques. It can provide, however, an appropriate reference situation to study the skills involved in stone knapping. In effect, given that for all stone-knapping techniques, the stable parameters of conchoidal fracture must be controlled, we can assume then that similar skills are involved. In order to characterize the skills involved in stone knapping in Cambay, a program of field experimentation was developed. At Cambay, the knappers are distinguished according to different levels of competence. In psychology, studies of apprenticeship are often based on transfer tasks. We tested the following hypothesis: the degree of success attained in modified situations reflects the capacities of adjustment,
flexibility and planning of the artisan. A highly-skilled artisan should be capable of transferring his planning and motor skills to new situations. In addition, we would expect the differences that characterize distinct expertise levels to be amplified in the context of transfer tasks. Modifications were introduced into the knapping activity of the artisan, varying the nature of the raw material to be worked (glass versus stone) and the objective to be attained (bead dimensions and shapes). We worked with 12 artisans distributed equally among two levels of expertise: a high-level, and a low-level. The participants were instructed to produce superior-quality beads. The ensemble of fabrication processes of each bead was recorded with a video camera and an accelerometer attached to the head of the knapper’s hammer in order to analyze the succession of actions realized, as well as the characteristics of the elementary movements and their sequencing.

R E S U M O O conjunto de utensilagem de pedra lascada do sítio arqueológico do Neolítico Antigo da Lajinha 8 foi alvo de um estudo petrográfico com vista à sua caracterização e compreensão das estratégias de aprovisionamento de matérias ‑primas. As análises petrográficas ...

R E S U M O O conjunto de utensilagem de pedra lascada do sítio arqueológico do Neolítico Antigo da Lajinha 8 foi alvo de um estudo petrográfico com vista à sua caracterização e compreensão das estratégias de aprovisionamento de matérias ‑primas. As análises petrográficas ...

Auf Einladung des Landkreises Landshut fand die 23. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mesolithikum vom 21.–23.3.2014 im Landratsamt Landshut statt. An der Tagung nahmen mehr als 60 Wissenschaftler, Studierende und an der Mittelsteinzeit interessierte Amateurarchäologen aus Deutschland, Österreich, Tschechien, Italien, der Schweiz und Dänemark teil. Insgesamt wurden 20 Vorträge gehalten. Neben Berichten aus den einzelnen Arbeitsgebieten der Teilnehmer waren das bayerische Mesolithikum und ein Workshop zur Siedlungsplatzdynamik im Mesolithikum Schwerpunkte der Tagung.

Ha a hazai őskőkorkutatás kezdeteit és azon belül is annak legelső jelentős eseményét keressük, akkor azt a XIX. századi Miskolcon, az Avas északi lábánál találjuk meg. (...) A XX. században már legalább 24 különféle kutatási eseményt köthetünk az Avas északi részéhez, pontosabban annak mintegy 1,5 km2-nyi területéhez, ideértve a hegytetőt, a hegyoldalakat és a hegylábfelszíneket is. Ezek nagyobbrészt felszíni leletgyűjtések, kisebb részben tervásatások voltak. A felszíni leletek napvilágra kerülése sok esetben amatőr gyűjtők elhivatottságának és szemfülességének volt köszönhető, míg a feltárások olyan nagyszerű muzeológusok és régészek nevéhez kapcsolódtak, mint Gálffy Ignác, Hillebrand Jenő, Leszih Andor, Megay Géza, Vértes László, Korek József, Hellebrandt Magdolna, Simán Katalin és Ringer Árpád. Az intenzív kutatások eredményeként az Avas északi, egyben legmagasabb része és annak környezete az ezredfordulóra szinte egyetlen ősrégészeti lelőhellyé olvadt össze. A sűrűn, egymás közvetlen szomszédságában regisztrált, legalább 12 érintett helyszínt, vagyis a jégkorban sok tízezer éven keresztül többször és több helyen megtelepedő, különféle kultúrákhoz és csoportokhoz tartozó ősembereket egyetlen dolog biztosan és szorosan köti össze. Ez nem más, mint a jó minőségű, igen nagy mennyiségben megtalálható és könnyen hozzáférhető kőnyersanyag, a limnoszilicit (korábbi neveken hidro- és limnokvarcit, kalcedon), vagyis az avasi kova.

Neslovicko administrativně náleží západní části Jihomoravského kraje, z geomorfologické-ho hlediska pak leží na pomezí brněnské kotliny a Vysočiny. Členitý reliéf, poměrně hustá síť vodních toků a blízké zdroje kvalitních surovin zřejmě představovaly vhodné podmínky pro osídlení již v období starší a především pak mladší doby kamenné, jak ostatně dokládá množství nálezů a lokalit v sousedních oblastech Ivančicka a Oslavanska. Hlavním účelem studie je podat přehled neolitického a eneolitického osídlení v okolí Neslovic a přispět tak novými daty k poznání pestré mozaiky vývoje neolitické společnosti v oblasti jižní Moravy. Primární zdroj dat přitom poskytla revize muzejních fondů a starých (většinou amatér-ských) výzkumů, které jsou v současné době doplňovány novými poznatky ze záchranných archeologických akcí.

Administratively the Neslovice cadaster area belongs to western part of Jihomoravský kraj. From geomorphological point of view it is located on the border of Brno basin and Czech-Moravian Highlands. The rugged relief, relatively dense river system and close sources of quality raw materials already posed good conditions for settlement during Palaeolithic and mainly in Neolithic period. It could be based on evidence of amount of archaeological findings and sites both in neighbouring Ivančice and Oslavany areas. Nevertheless , primary source of data was provided with revision of old museum funds and old (rather amateur) excavations. Currently the data is being completed with new information gained through rescue archaeological researches. The main purpose of the presented article is to introduce actual knowledge about Neolithic and Aeneolithic settlement development in Neslovice cadastral area.

Auf Einladung des Landkreises Landshut fand die 23. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mesolithikum vom 21.–23.3.2014 im Landratsamt Landshut statt. An der Tagung nahmen mehr als 60 Wissenschaftler, Studierende und an der Mittelsteinzeit interessierte Amateurarchaologen aus Deutschland, Osterreich, Tschechien, Italien, der Schweiz und Danemark teil. Insgesamt wurden 20 Vortrage gehalten. Neben Berichten aus den einzelnen Arbeitsgebieten der Teilnehmer waren das bayerische Mesolithikum und ein Workshop zur Siedlungsplatzdynamik im Mesolithikum Schwerpunkte der Tagung.

The Tiwai Point site in Bluff Harbour, Murihiku (Southland) was occupied early in the first century of New Zealand settlement (∼1300 AD). The site was the largest production center of Bluff argillite adzes that supplied settlements up to 500 km distant. This tough recrystalized mudstone was obtained from sources throughout Bluff Harbour and it presented new opportunities and challenges to pioneering Polynesian adze makers. Although suitable for producing Polynesian adze forms, it is tougher than tropical Polynesian basalts and required the development of novel manufacturing techniques. To understand these technological innovations, we produced 155 3D models of Bluff argillite adzes, preforms and blanks from the 1968 Tiwai Point excavation to model adze manufacture using various forms of the raw material. We found a heavy reliance on hammer-dressing as a practical means of working an unusually tough material with variable grain-size anda high potential risk of breakage.

Resumo:
Neste trabalho apresentam-se os resultados da análise tecnológica e classificação tipológica realizadas sobre a componente de pedra lascada dos Monumentos Funerários 1 e 2 do Complexo Arqueológico dos Perdigões, ambos datados do segundo quartel do III milénio a.C. Entre outros aspetos, foi possível observar a exclusividade de peças acabadas (lâminas, pontas de seta e grandes foliáceos), parte significativa das quais
fabricada com matérias-primas exógenas (sílex, calcário oolítico silicificado), indicando assim a integração deste complexo em redes de contacto a longa distância. Verificou-se também que parte das oferendas funerárias foi deliberadamente fabricada para este fim (é o caso das pontas de seta em xisto).

Abstract:
Knaped stone materials from the funerary monuments 1 and 2 of Archaeological Complex of Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz). In this work the results of technological analysis and typological classification of knapped stone tools from the Funerary Monuments 1 and 2 of the Archaeological Complex of Perdigões are presented. Both contexts are radiocarbon dated to the second quarter of the 3rd millennium BC. Among
other aspects, it was possible to observe that finished tools are exclusive in the assemblage (blades, arrow points and larger foliates), being most of them made with exogenous raw materials (flint, silicified oolithic limestone), thus integrating this complex in long-distance networks. It was also observed that part of the grave goods was specifically made to this purpose (this is the case of schist arrow points).

Stranska skala je vapencový kopec ve východni casti Brna, Ceska republika. Mistni svrchnojurske rohovce, oznacovane jako typ Stranska skala, byly použivany jako suroviny v různých prav ěkých obdobich, zejmena na přelomu szředniho a svrchniho paleolitu a ve starsim eneolitu. Mezi archeologickými pozůstatky objevenými na tomto kopci je zahloubena sidlistni struktura vztahovana k mladsimu stupni kultury s moravskými zvoncovitými pohary (zkr. MBBC), objeveným v roce 2016. Nasledujici prace řesi otazku dobývani rohovců Stranske skaly lidmi teto kultury.

At this moment majority of specialist in archaeology of stone age have a common view, that a nature of variability of tool morphology could not be determine without understanding of lithic reduction processes. Up-to-date researchers use method of «chaine operatoire» as a methodological tool to technological studies. This method integrated is a number of present approaches: refitting, experimental searching and attributive approach. If the first two approaches are widespread in the Russian school of Paleolithic researches, attributive approach on the contrary is used in technological studies seldom at this moment. The goal of present article is review of issues connected with the using of attributive approach and history of his theoretical bases, and identification his place in the methodological system of analysis of Paleolithic assemblages.