New data from old collections: Retouch-induced marks on Australian hardwood boomerangs

Martellotta, Eva Francesca; Wilkins, Jayne; Brumm, Adam; Langley, Michelle C.

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.102967

Cited by 8 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(70 reference statements)

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“…We aim to formulate a detailed description of retouch-induced use-wear on boomerangs. Based on our traceological and literature studies [ 4 , 5 ], we also expect similarities between the impact traces of bone and boomerang retouchers in terms of morphology, distribution and internal cross-section. This work enriches methodologies applied to the traceological study of boomerangs, which have so far only been marginally investigated [ 15 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Moreover, part of the experimental protocol aimed at verifying a potential connection between the spatial distribution and the shape of boomerangs. Based on our previous traceological study of museum-curated boomerangs [ 4 ], we hypothesised that variations in the boomerangs’ morphologies could influence their grasping during the retouch activity ( S5 Fig ), i.e., variations in the retouch movement applied by the operator.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their interaction generates four categories of “intensity of retouch”: isolated, dispersed, concentrated, and superposed [ 27 , 33 ]. In our previous traceological study on boomerangs [ 4 ], we proposed that those use-wear, with similar features, also occur on boomerangs used in retouching activities. To verify this traceological evidence, we compared retouch-induced use-wear on boomerangs with impact traces on bone retouchers in our experimental sample.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our previous works, preliminary investigating this issue [ 4 , 5 ], we proposed the use of hardwood boomerangs for retouching purposes among Indigenous Australian communities until at least European incursions. Our hypothesis—and the foundation of the present experiment—was based on four central notions: (1) boomerangs hold a deep multipurpose value in Australian Aboriginal societies [e.g., 5 – 9 ]; ( 2 ) literature evidence proved that the use of boomerangs (and other wooden tools) in retouching and resharpening activities could be technologically compared to the use of Palaeolithic bone retouchers [ 5 ]; (3) a traceological analysis of museum-curated boomerangs identified the presence of retouch-induced impact traces comparable with the ones identified on bone retouchers [ 4 ]; (4) bone and wood, as materials for tool-making, share some mechanical and physical properties, and it is possible to hypothesise they would have similar reactions to the percussion movement in retouching activities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond the main function: An experimental study of the use of hardwood boomerangs in retouching activities

et al. 2022

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Retouched lithic tools result from the functional modification of their edges following knapping operations. The study of the later stages of the reduction sequence is fundamental to understanding the techno-functional features of any toolkit. In Australia, a gap exists in the study of the chaîne opératoire of lithic tools shaped or re-shaped through percussion retouching. In our previous works (Martellotta EF., 2021, Martellotta EF., 2022), we have presented evidence for the use of hardwood boomerangs for retouching purposes in Australian Aboriginal communities. Through a detailed experimental protocol, the present study demonstrates how boomerangs can function as retouchers. We found that the use-wear generated on the boomerang’s surface during retouch activity is comparable to retouch-induced impact traces observed on Palaeolithic bone retouchers, as well as to experimental bone retouchers generated in our replication experiments. Finally, we explore the role that microscopic lithic chips embedded in the retouchers’ surface play in the formation process of retouching marks. Our results address the need for a deeper investigation of percussion retouching techniques in Australian contexts, opening the possibility that uncommon objects—such as boomerangs—could be used for this task. This concept also highlights the broader topic of the highly diverse multipurpose application of many Indigenous tools throughout Australia. At the same time, the study reveals a deep functional connection between osseous and wooden objects—a topic rarely investigated in archaeological contexts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond the main function: An experimental study of the use of hardwood boomerangs in retouching activities

et al. 2022

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“…This glossary and code relies upon ongoing research and experience of the authors, alongside recent publications that also undertake systematic analyses and descriptions of wood technologies and traces from stone-tool using cultures (e.g. Aranguren et al 2018;Bamforth et al 2018;Caruso-Fermé et al 2021;López-Bultó et al 2020;Martellotta et al 2021;Vidal-Matutano et al 2021). While it forms the foundation for our ongoing analysis and documentation of the wet and conserved woods from the Pleistocene site of Schöningen (Germany), we hope it may also provide a means for collaboration and communication with those working on wood from other Pleistocene and Holocene sites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wood technology: a Glossary and Code for analysis of archaeological wood from stone tool cultures

Milks¹,

Lehmann²,

Böhner³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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A technological approach to the analysis of wooden artefacts from stone-tool using cultures remains underdeveloped relative to technologies from other materials such as stone and bone. However, in recent years archaeologists have begun to approach wood assemblages in a systematic manner, including macro- and micro-analyses of traces, and conducting experiments to build reference samples on manufacturing, use and taphonomy. However, there is as yet a lack of established nomenclature that would facilitate intra-site comparisons. Therefore, this glossary and associated code is a first step to initiate a synthesis and standardisation of analytical terms for early wood technologies from stone-tool cultures. An agreement and clear definition of terms is useful to avoid confusion and overlaps pertaining to all phases that help us understand the biography of wooded artefacts. This glossary and code relies both on the collective expertise of the authors as well as on existing publications, particularly those reflecting recent systematic analyses and descriptions of wood technologies and traces from stone-tool using cultures. As a work in progress, we hope to collaborate and communicate with others working on archaeological wood, particularly pertaining to assemblages from stone-tool using cultures.

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Neanderthal use of animal bones as retouchers at the Level XV of the Sopeña rock shelter (Asturias, northern Spain)

Romero,

Yravedra,

Grandal‐d'Anglade

et al. 2023

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Bone retouchers are a technological appliance used to perfect lithic tools efficiently. They are most frequently found in Middle Palaeolithic contexts. In this paper, we present a group of bone retouchers from the Mousterian Level XV of the Sopeña rock shelter (Asturias, Spain). The bone part preferred was the middle part of the shaft of long bones: Most of them are on metacarpals, followed by metatarsals, femurs, and tibias. The most used animal species is adult red deer. These retouchers have either one, two, or three active areas, with a central disposition. The impact marks are close together; oval pits are common, as well as straight, sinuous, and irregular grooves. The surfaces on these marks appear pitted and scaled. There are indications that the bones employed were relatively fresh. The length, width, and thickness of those bone fragments seem to be the determining factor when choosing them to be used as retouchers in the process of finishing lithic tools. The formats documented in Sopeña Level XV are similar to those found in other Mousterian sites in Iberia, although there is a certain variability regarding their width. The Neanderthals of Sopeña acquired the raw material for these retouchers from the faunal remains generated in the process of butchering and eating the animals. These retouchers were used as implements to perfect lithic tools made mainly on quartzite, and they were used repeatedly and maybe for a long time.

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New data from old collections: Retouch-induced marks on Australian hardwood boomerangs

Cited by 8 publications

References 39 publications

Beyond the main function: An experimental study of the use of hardwood boomerangs in retouching activities

Beyond the main function: An experimental study of the use of hardwood boomerangs in retouching activities

Wood technology: a Glossary and Code for analysis of archaeological wood from stone tool cultures

Neanderthal use of animal bones as retouchers at the Level XV of the Sopeña rock shelter (Asturias, northern Spain)

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