Quartzes matter. Understanding the technological and behavioural complexity in quartz lithic assemblages

Hermida, Arturo de Lombera; Rellán, Carlos Rodríguez

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.11.039

Cited by 28 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Each striking platform is exploited to obtain a limited number of products, usually no more than two or three. Vein quartz opportunistic flakes have triangular section and pronounced thickness, that can be interpreted as an adaptation to the raw material: as demonstrated by recent experimental studies, increasing thickness is a good strategy to avoid the occurrence of fractures (de Lombera-Hermida and Rodríguez-Rellán, 2016;Driscoll, 2011;Tallavaara et al, 2010). Opportunistic reduction strategies are clear also for spongolite (Fig.…”

Section: Opportunistic Reduction Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Colonge and Mourre, 2006;de Lombera-Hermida and Rodriguez Rellan, 2010;Mourre, 1996Mourre, , 1994. The use of raw materials like vein quartz in Palaeolithic sites is quite recurring, but the description of the technological adaptation applied for their exploitation is often inaccurate, thus attributing to non-flint reduction sequences the character of archaic, rough and notcurated production systems (de Lombera-Hermida and Rodríguez-Rellán, 2016;Rodríguez-Alvarez, 2016;Rodríguez-Rellan, 2016). In several European Middle Palaeolithic sites, a differential use of the lithic raw materials collected has been observed (e.g.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Expedient behaviour and predetermination at the Ciota Ciara cave (north-western Italy) during Middle Palaeolithic

Daffara

Berruti

Arzarello

2021

Quaternary International

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The Ciota Ciara cave is a Middle Palaeolithic site located in Piedmont (north-western Italy) and it is the only one systematically investigated in the region. It opens at 670 m a.s.l. on the west side of Monte Fenera and its archaeological deposit has a stratigraphic sequence documenting several and repeated human frequentations. Four archaeological layers have been identified (13, 14, 15 and 103) and are characterized by lithic assemblages where vein quartz is the main exploited raw material. The upper level (13), was already subject to technological and functional studies but the enlargement of the excavated area made necessary a completion of the technological data. The aim of this work is to deal with a complete technological and functional study of the lithic assemblage of the four archaeological layers of the Ciota Ciara cave to face the issues of predetermination and adaptation of the reduction sequences to the raw materials features. The technological analysis is based on the concept of chaîne opératoire and refers to the classical definitions of the S.S.D.A., discoid and Levallois methods for the identification of the different exploitation strategies. The concepts of curated and expedient technology are also applied to the present study. We finally refer to the huge debate concerning the concept of predetermination related to cores that show reduced or none phases of core configuration for the analysis and interpretation of the considered lithic assemblage. The results obtained show that the general behaviour can be interpreted as expedient, both from a technological and a functional point of view. The Middle Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers of the Ciota Ciara cave adapted their "technological background" to the resources available and put into action flexible adaptation strategies. Even in the shortness or absence of phases of core configuration, predetermination can be observed in the adaptation of Levallois and discoid concepts to the natural constraints of the pebbles chosen as cores. The natural convexities are exploited to obtain Levallois and discoid flakes after an intentional choice made by the knappers. In order to deeply investigate the characteristics of the technological behaviour of the hunter-gatherers that inhabited the site, the use-wear analysis is a fundamental additional source of information and it is here aimed to understand if there is or not a differential use of the lithic artefacts according to their typology and/or to the knapping method. KeywordsCiota Ciara, Levallois, vein quartz, use-wear analysis, technological behaviour. the production of low-predetermined flakes, scarce presence of simple retouched tools. On the other hand, the concept of predetermination, i.e. the production of flakes with specific characteristics, in Middle Palaeolithic lithic technology is traditionally linked to Levallois exploitation strategies and to the specific core configuration proper of this method, where the preparation of the lateral and distal convexities gives the knapper a good degree of c...

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Section: Opportunistic Reduction Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 82%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Expedient behaviour and predetermination at the Ciota Ciara cave (north-western Italy) during Middle Palaeolithic

Daffara

Berruti

Arzarello

2021

Quaternary International

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“…There are, however, clear differences in core reduction strategies between materials. Quartz cores are notably smaller than cores made on other materials and three of these cores exhibit features associated with bipolar reduction [ 47 , 48 ]. This reduction technique results in high frequencies of shatter: reflected by the markedly higher proportion of quartz debitage (80.1%) compared to other materials.…”

Section: The Cultural Assemblagementioning

confidence: 99%

Karnatukul (Serpent’s Glen): A new chronology for the oldest site in Australia’s Western Desert

et al. 2018

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The re-excavation of Karnatukul (Serpent’s Glen) has provided evidence for the human occupation of the Australian Western Desert to before 47,830 cal. BP (modelled median age). This new sequence is 20,000 years older than the previous known age for occupation at this site. Re-excavation of Karnatukul aimed to contextualise the site’s painted art assemblage. We report on analyses of assemblages of stone artefacts and pigment art, pigment fragments, anthracology, new radiocarbon dates and detailed sediment analyses. Combined these add significantly to our understanding of this earliest occupation of Australia’s Western Desert. The large lithic assemblage of over 25,000 artefacts includes a symmetrical geometric backed artefact dated to 45,570–41,650 cal. BP. The assemblage includes other evidence for hafting technology in its earliest phase of occupation. This research recalibrates the earliest Pleistocene occupation of Australia’s desert core and confirms that people remained in this part of the arid zone during the Last Glacial Maximum. Changes in occupation intensity are demonstrated throughout the sequence: at the late Pleistocene/Holocene transition, the mid-Holocene and then during the last millennium. Karnatukul documents intensive site use with a range of occupation activities and different signalling behaviours during the last 1,000 years. This correlation of rock art and occupation evidence refines our understanding of how Western Desert peoples have inscribed their landscapes in the recent past, while the newly described occupation sequence highlights the dynamic adaptive culture of the first Australians, supporting arguments for their rapid very early migration from the coasts and northern tropics throughout the arid interior of the continent.

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“…Several pieces of research were produced in the following decade and new geographic areas were studied, mainly in Europe (e.g., Floss 1990;Jeske 1989;Normand 1986;Roebroeks 1988;Turq 1989). In the last twenty years of research, few and sometimes isolated scientific efforts in characterising raw materials for knapping processes other than flint or obsidian are widening the spectra of rocks analysed from geoarchaeological perspectives (e.g., Daffara et al 2019;de Lombera-Hermida & Rodríguez-Rellán 2016;McHenry & de la Torre 2018;Prieto et al 2019a). In addition to this dynamic research, a clear qualitative development took place in the understanding of the behavioural, economic and social dynamics in Palaeolithic societies through the techno-typological analysis of lithic assemblages (Boëda 1994;Laplace 1972;1987;Leroi-Gourhan 1964: 132-144).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lithic raw material in the Cantabrian region: Dialectical relationship between flint and quartzite in the Palaeolithic record

Prieto

Arrizabalaga

Yusta

2021

JLS

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The increase, in quantitative and qualitative terms, of research attending to the geological nature of rocks found in archaeological contexts is changing our perspectives about social and economic territories articulated by Palaeolithic societies in the Cantabrian Region. Practically the only raw material researched in a solid geoarchaeological approach in this area is flint. This paper addresses how the near absence of in-depth geoarchaeological research into raw materials other than flint is modifying our perception of the procurement and management mechanism of raw material in the Cantabrian Region during the Palaeolithic. To consider this matter in depth, we present the bibliographic and quantitative analysis of 30 representative archaeological sites from the Cantabrian Region whose assemblages were described lithologically using basic and primary categories. The state of play depicts a geographic distribution of raw material in the Cantabrian Region where quartzite is associated with the western sector and flint with the east. Interconnected with this axis, there is a chronological tendency that promotes standardisation in the use of flint by Palaeolithic societies following a chronological order, from the older to the more recent periods. This information, and its contextualisation with the new perspectives resulting from the application of the geoarchaeological proposal used to understand flint procurement, allows us to understand the general tendencies of raw material distribution of the region. Especially, we can detect how the absence of geoarchaeological methodologies of other raw materials than flint has modified the perception of the economic and social dynamics articulated around raw material by Palaeolithic people. This bias does not only affect the geographical and chronological axes, emphasising information from the regions and periods where flint is represented, but also promotes the over-interpretation of long-distance procurement, therefore, building up narratives exclusively based on human mobility. This situation has generated an incomplete and unbalanced picture of the procurement and management strategies followed by Palaeolithic societies because quartzite, the second most-often used lithic raw material, and other raw materials have only been studied using geoarchaeological methods within the last few years. This research finally points to the continuation of in-depth research of quartzite and other raw materials as the next steps to re-interpret the current paradigms about procurement and management of raw material by Palaeolithic societies, and, therefore, modify our perspectives of social and economic territories. The research presented here addresses this situation and proposes the in-depth research of quartzite as the next step to re-interpret the current paradigms about procurement and management of raw material by Palaeolithic societies, and, therefore, modify our perspectives of social and economic territories. To do so, we have proposed a general raw material framework in the Cantabrian Region based on the 30 most representative sites whose assemblages were described lithologically using basic and primary categories. The state of the art depicted a geographic distribution of raw material in the Cantabrian Region where quartzite is associated with the western sector and flint with the east. Interconnected with this axis, there is a chronological tendency that promotes standardisation in the use of flint by Palaeolithic societies following a chronological order, from the older to the more recent periods. This information, and its contextualisation with the new perspectives resulting from the application of the geoarchaeological proposal used to understand flint procurement, allows us to understand the bias derived by the absence of geoarchaeological methodologies of other raw materials than flint. These biases are not only related with the geographical and chronological axes, emphasising information from the regions and periods where flint is represented, but also with the overinterpretation of long-distance procurement, therefore, promoting narratives exclusively based on human mobility.

show abstract

Quartzes matter. Understanding the technological and behavioural complexity in quartz lithic assemblages

Cited by 28 publications

References 74 publications

Expedient behaviour and predetermination at the Ciota Ciara cave (north-western Italy) during Middle Palaeolithic

Expedient behaviour and predetermination at the Ciota Ciara cave (north-western Italy) during Middle Palaeolithic

Karnatukul (Serpent’s Glen): A new chronology for the oldest site in Australia’s Western Desert

Lithic raw material in the Cantabrian region: Dialectical relationship between flint and quartzite in the Palaeolithic record

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