Defining and Characterizing Archaeological Quartzite: Sedimentary and Metamorphic Processes in the Lithic Assemblages of El Habario and El Arteu (Cantabrian Mountains, Northern Spain)

Abstract

Quartzite was the second most‐often used lithic raw material in Europe in the Palaeolithic. However, this rock has not been characterized fully from the geo‐archaeological point of view. This study characterizes, defines and determines types of quartzite in northern Spain through a methodology that integrates petrography, digital image processing and X‐ray fluorescence. As a methodological foundation for the characterization of the material, it aims to open the possibility of discovering mechanisms of mobility, selection and management of quartzite by prehistoric societies. The types determined, based on the petrogenesis of the material, enable a better understanding of the archaeological sites of El Arteu and El Habario in the context of northern Spain in the Middle Palaeolithic.

Lithic Raw Material Characterisation at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

“…The quantification of textural data could potentially be used to create dendrograms to better understand the relationships between textures and minerals (e.g. Prieto et al 2019). Further research will be required to determine whether textural characteristics may be used as sourcing criterion for quartzites.…”

“…Magmatic rocks were classified according to their essential, type, accessory, and postmagmatic minerals (sensu Gill 2010) artifacts undertaken in a recent study have found this to be of little value to identify varieties other than to determine the extent to which a sample was metamorphosed (Prieto et al 2019). Streckeisen 1976).…”

From petrographic analysis to stereomicroscopic characterisation: a geoarchaeological approach to identify quartzite artefacts in the Cantabrian Region

“…This is especially important in those areas where flint is not common or in ancient chronologies in areas where nonflint rocks are predominant. However, in recent years, quartzite from archaeological deposits has been studied from geoarchaeological perspectives by combining different destructive methodologies such as petrographic analysis and geochemical procedures (Blomme et al 2012;Cnudde et al 2013;Dalpra and Pitblado 2016;Pitblado et al, 2008Pitblado et al, , 2012Prieto et al 2019;Veldeman et al 2012). These studies reflect the ambiguity of the term quartzite in archaeological literature, where it can refer to different geological origins, from clearly metamorphic to sedimentary.…”

“…To this end, we have analysed the lithic collections from El Arteu and El Habario, two Middle-Palaeolithic sites situated in the Central part of the Cantabrian Region, northern Spain. We summarise the main results derived from the petrographic and geochemical characterisation of 18 samples recently published by our research group (Prieto et al 2019), but especially, we will focus on non-destructive criteria to characterise the lithic surfaces of quartzites using stereoscope microscopy and descriptive characterisation. The diagenetic and metamorphic changes which modify the texture and structure of former sedimentary rocks, the grain size and its distribution, and the mineral component itself will be analysed in this research using both approaches.…”

Back to the Gravettian

“…The analysis is especially focused on the quar$ ite, a rock which constitutes approximately 80% of the assemblage. To analyse this material, we applied a methodological approach that combines petrographic characterisation, X-Ray fl uorescence and stereomicroscopy using the same protocol proposed in the region by our team (Prieto et al, 2019;Prieto et al, 2020). This procedure allows us to characterise and assign each lithic fragment to a petrogenetic type of quar$ ite using a solid geoarchaeological basis.…”