Macrolithic retouched blades from Kałdus and Stare Marzy: foreign technology and new ideology in the lithic traditions of the TRB communities in the Lower Vistula region

Abstract

At the turn of the 20th and 21st century, over a dozen macrolithic retouched blades or their fragments were obtained from archaeological sites at Kałdus and Stare Marzy, located in the Lower Vistula region in northern Poland. The context of deposition links the blades to the settlements of the younger Funnel Beaker culture (3650/3500–3300/3100 BC). This article presents and discusses the results of morphological, technological, and raw material investigations of the macrolithic retouched blades or their fragments from Kałdus and Stare Marzy and relates them to the patterns of use and cultural significance of the macrolithic industry in the local TRB communities. The obtained results show that the retouched blades were made of high-quality flint materials sourced from the Polish and Ukrainian Uplands, namely Świeciechów, Volhynian and Jurassic flints. The results, furthermore, indicate that production technology of macrolithic retouched blades is very specific and, what is more important, it is not rooted in the lithic traditions of the region. Archaeological evidence from this study suggests exceptional patterns of use of macrolithic retouched blades in the Lower Vistula region and their perception by local TRB people, which can be traced to the Eneolithic milieu located southeast of the Polish Lowlands.