A Study on Blade Production Technique of Imsil Haga Paleolithic site

Abstract

The blade is a representative artifact of the upper Paleolithic of Korea. The study of the manufacturing techniques of the blade and restoration of it play an important role in understanding of survival skills of upper Paleolithic human. This paper researches into the technology and process of the blade production through the blade production technology we learned from ‘Refitting artifact’ of Imsil Haga site, and analogizes the kind of the hammer which they used for the blade production in comparison with the existing research result of experimental archaeology on the blade production. Restoring the blade production process as a result of the analysis of ‘refitting artifacts’, 1. Shaping, removed cortical face and unnecessary parts of the raw material are made into sizes and shapes suitable for blade production using stone hammer direct percussion (refitting artifacts 1, 3). 2. creation of a striking platform, 3. blade debitage using the Antler hammer direct percussion. (refitting artifacts 1, 3) 4. Change the striking platform according to the production process, and blade debitage by making the most of the stones several times (refitting artifacts 1, 2). 5. When knapping accidents (step, hinge, and flange) appeared on the blade core, or when the size of the core became smaller and it became difficult to make a blade of the desired size, the blade was discarded without production more blades. The reason for the abandonment of the blade was 1. If it is no longer possible to make the blade due to the Knapping accidents (step, plunging, hinged), 2. If the size of the blade cannot be made, The ‘Refitting artifact 1’ includes two tools (tanged point), which analyzed the length and production space of the tool that the tool maker wanted. First of all, considering that the length of the blade identified in ‘Refitting artifact 1’ is about 40 to 88mm, and the tanged point is about 51, 54mm, it is thought that the stone maker made a blade with a length of about 50 to 70mm or made a tool. The excavation location of tanged point is about 2m away from the central part of the bladecore, and it is thought that the tool was made by moving the blade after manufacturing it.