Microhardness analysis and characterization of Palaeolithic stone tool materials for understanding primary material selections and utilizations

Yonekura, Kaoru; Suzuki, Tetsuya

doi:10.1016/j.matchar.2008.08.008

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is also used in analyses of minerals and rocks [29] what seems to be particularly interesting are the microhardness analyses used in identifying particular stages and micro-fractures in carbonates [30]. That method is also used in studies into the relationship between porosity and microhardness in sulfate and saline minerals [31], as well as in determining the degree of weathering of andesite fragments [32], and even in analyses of Palaeolithic stone tool materials [33]. The parameter has also been used for many years in analyses of coal [34,35], including the creations of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin [36][37][38][39][40][41][42] and in other coal basins (e.g., Indian coals [21] or high volatile bituminous Kentucky coals [43]).…”

Section: Description Of the Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microhardness of Coal from Near-Fault Zones in Coal Seams Threatened with Gas-Geodynamic Phenomena, Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

Godyń

Kožušníková

2019

Energies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Near-fault coal displays some specific structural and textural features. As the distance to the fault diminishes, one can observe ever stronger, gradual degradation of coal, demonstrated by the emergence of structural distortions exogenic in their origin, visible under a microscope. The process of gradual degradation of coal—manifested by the appearance of structural distortions exogenic in their origin—takes place. This can be observed under a microscope. The measurements of the microhardness of structurally altered coal carried out using the Vickers hardness test. For the purpose of this research, a microhardness tester by the CSM Instruments was used. The microhardness of particular structural types of coal was measured. The procedure encompassed both structurally unaltered and altered coal. The tested objects were exogenically fractured fragments, cataclastic, and mylonitic structures. Each of the analyzed structural types displayed a different range of the microhardness, with the highest values confirmed for the structurally unaltered coal. In the case of fractured coal, the microhardness values were somewhat lower. Finally, the lowest values were ascertained for cataclastic coal. Mylonitic coal, in turn, displayed microhardness values similar to those found in the unaltered coal. It was also observed that, in the case of the unaltered, fractured, and cataclastic coal, cracks propagated in the manner typical of brittle materials, whereas the mylonitic coal revealed some degree of elasticity. The analyzed microhardness parameters expose the structural–textural features of coal, particularly when it comes to the degree and character of destruction of the rock’s original matrix. The specific structural–textural composition of particular types of near-fault creations influences both their sorption parameters and the compactness of coal in a seam.

show abstract

Section: Description Of the Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microhardness of Coal from Near-Fault Zones in Coal Seams Threatened with Gas-Geodynamic Phenomena, Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

Godyń

Kožušníková

2019

Energies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…On the other hand, a previous study pointed out potential uctuations in the strength value of brittle materials with internal cracks and indicated an importance of using appropriate kinds of tests and su cient numbers of rock samples (Tsirk, 2014). More speci cally, many studies employed Compressive or Tensile strength as parameters of lithic raw material strength (Domanski et al 1994;Webb and Domanski, 2008;Yonekura and Suzuki, 2009;Zhou et al 2014).…”

Section: Background Of Fracture Predictabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the HRC measurement, a conical diamond indenter is pressed againstIn archaeological studies, the measurement of Rockwell Hardness was applied to pottery(Simon and Coghlan, 1989) and hard hammers used for lithic production(Magmani et al 2014). Besides, there are some archaeological studies that employed other indentation hardness tests for measuring lithic raw materials(Yonekura and Suzuki, 2009;Tsobgou and Dabard, 2010;Namen et al 2022). The procedure of Rockwell hardness test is less complicated than those of other indentation hardness tests.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining the Increase in “High-quality Chert” in the Early Upper Paleolithic Artifacts in Southern Jordan: Quantitative Examination of Chert Mechanical Properties and Fracture Predictability

Suga,

Tsukada,

Tarawneh

et al. 2023

J Paleo Arch

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the studies of aked stone tools, the "quality" of lithic raw material has often been assessed from a viewpoint of its suitability to lithic production, and several studies quanti ed such raw material qualities by measuring mechanical properties of several different rocks like obsidian, chert, and basalt. To advance this approach, this study aims to quantify variations in the quality of chert, which is usually based on the difference in grain-size, e.g., ne-grained chert as "high-quality". For this purpose, we measured two types of hardness, i.e., the rebound hardness by Schmidt Hammer and the Rockwell Hardness (HRC), by using chert samples from southern Jordan, where the use of ne-grained chert increased in the Early Upper Paleolithic (Ahmarian) in association with the development of bladelet technology. The results indicate that ne-grained chert has greater fracture predictability and particularly suitable for the production of bladelets. However, ne-grained chert in southern Jordan suffer from abundant internal fractures and was not used as often as medium-grained chert for Levallois products and robust blades in the Late Middle and Initial Upper Paleolithic. Thus, explaining the prehistoric selectivity of lithic raw materials need to consider fracture predictability as well as other factors, such as actual conditions of occurrences and lithic production technology.

show abstract

“…The test is done by indenting a standardised sharp tip into the surface of the test material under a known load, then measuring the resulting indented impression. Studies have shown that stone raw materials with higher indentation hardness tend to be constituted of smaller grains with less porosities and lower surface roughness, potentially allowing flakes to be detached with sharper edges and hence greater cutting abilities (Yonekura, [76]; Yonekura & Suzuki, [78]). Researchers have also used indentation hardness as a proxy for tool edge durability (Sherwood,[65]; Yonekura, [76]; Yonekura et al, [77]), although it should be noted that edge toughness is proportional to not only indentation hardness but also stiffness, such that hard yet stiff (i.e.…”

Section: Rebound Hardness Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterising the stone artefact raw materials at Liang Bua, Indonesia

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

At Liang Bua, the type site of Homo floresiensis on the Indonesian island of Flores, the stone artefact assemblages are dominated by two raw materials, qualitatively classified as chert and silicified tuff in previous studies. Field observations describe both stone types as locally abundant and of good flaking quality, but no systematic analysis has yet been carried out to characterise their nature. In this study, we conducted the first geological, mechanical, and quantitative assessment of these two raw materials using a suite of analytical approaches. Our results show that the two stone types are mineralogically alike in composition and derive from fossiliferous limestone that had undergone diagenetic silica replacement, but they clearly differ from one another geochemically. Therefore, the ‘chert’ and ‘silicified tuff’ categories used in previous studies are more aptly described as silica-dominated (i.e., SiO2-dominated) nodular chert and iron-rich (i.e., Fe2O3-rich) nodular chert, respectively. We discuss the implications of our results on the shift in raw material utilisation patterns at Liang Bua that occurred after ~ 46 ka and coincided with the arrival of Homo sapiens at the site.

show abstract

Microhardness analysis and characterization of Palaeolithic stone tool materials for understanding primary material selections and utilizations

Cited by 10 publications

References 19 publications

Microhardness of Coal from Near-Fault Zones in Coal Seams Threatened with Gas-Geodynamic Phenomena, Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

Microhardness of Coal from Near-Fault Zones in Coal Seams Threatened with Gas-Geodynamic Phenomena, Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

Explaining the Increase in “High-quality Chert” in the Early Upper Paleolithic Artifacts in Southern Jordan: Quantitative Examination of Chert Mechanical Properties and Fracture Predictability

Characterising the stone artefact raw materials at Liang Bua, Indonesia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About