Thermal Alteration of Silica Minerals: An Archeological Approach

Purdy, Barbara A.; Brooks, Harold K.

doi:10.1126/science.173.3994.322

Cited by 146 publications

(129 citation statements)

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“…Fifth, various lines of evidence indicate burning of flint at temperatures of several hundred degrees. Crazed pieces indicate heating in excess of 3508C (Purdy and Brooks, 1971;Douglas-Price et al, 1982) and the TL measurements show that some flakes from Bed 6 were heated to a temperature above 4008C (Gowlett et al, 2005). Moreover, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of three bones has confirmed that the charred and calcined bones from Bed 6 had been intensely heated at temperatures of between 6008C and 8008C (J. G. Francis, pers.…”

Section: Evidence Of Fire Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Preece

Gowlett

Parfitt

et al. 2006

J Quaternary Science

110

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A Lower Palaeolithic industry at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, occurs within an interglacial sequence that immediately overlies glacial deposits, referable to the Anglian Lowestoft Formation. There is strong biostratigraphical evidence from both vertebrates and molluscs that the interglacial represented is the Hoxnian (MIS 11). This conclusion is supported by uranium series dates from carbonate nodules (>400 kyr), TL dates from burnt flint (414 AE 30 kyr) and a range of amino acid racemisation data. The archaeology consists of flint artefacts of Acheulian character, including many refitting examples. Charred material is abundant in three stratigraphical units and many bones and flints have been burnt, indicating repeated occurrence of fire. Several discrete areas of burnt sediment appear to be hearths. This interpretation is supported by: (1) the intensity of burning (600-8008C) implied by the charred and calcined bones; (2) the intersection of two of the burnt areas, implying separate burning events at slightly different, overlapping locations; (3) the discovery of two burnt flakes that refit onto an adjacent group that are unburnt, indicating that the burning was highly localised; and (4) the spatial distribution of artefacts respects the features interpreted as hearths, suggesting fireside knapping. Fossils associated with the archaeology indicate occupation within closed deciduous forest in a fully temperate climate. Attractions to this unusual environment would have included the fresh water provided by springs, a rich supply of potential food and a prolific source of good quality flint for tool manufacture. The archaeological evidence therefore suggests that the site repeatedly served as an area of focused activities (perhaps a 'home-base') during much of the interglacial. The upper levels of the sequence provide clear faunal evidence of climatic deterioration during which human occupation and fire use persisted. Biostratigraphical correlations with other Lower Palaeolithic sites lend support to the suggestion that Acheulian and Clactonian industries occurred in Britain during the same substage of the Hoxnian, although not necessarily at precisely the same time.

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Section: Evidence Of Fire Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Preece

Gowlett

Parfitt

et al. 2006

J Quaternary Science

110

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“…Temperatures at which color and luster are altered vary by chert source. Color changes have been noted between 240 °C (464 °F) and as high as 800 °C (1472 °F), and luster between 121 °C (249.8 °F) and 400 °C (752 °F) (Mandeville 1971;Perkins 1985;Picha and others 1991;Purdy 1974;Purdy and Brooks 1971).…”

Section: Flaked Stone ___________________mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chert from different sources will fracture at different temperatures, although most reportedly fracture between 350 °C and 550 °C (662 °F and 1022 °F) (Buenger 2003;Luedtke 1992;Purdy 1974;Rick 1978;Schindler and others 1982). At temperatures between 350 °C and 400 °C (662 °F and 752 °F), chert can become distorted or brittle in as little as 20 minutes (Luedtke 1992;Purdy 1974).…”

Section: Flaked Stone ___________________mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Flaked Stone ___________________mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At temperatures between 350 °C and 400 °C (662 °F and 752 °F), chert can become distorted or brittle in as little as 20 minutes (Luedtke 1992;Purdy 1974). Some chert will explode when raised to these temperatures rapidly, but not when temperatures are elevated slowly (Luedtke 1992;Purdy 1974). Impurities in chert can result in alterations at temperatures as low as 150 °C (302° F), or as high as 650 °C (1202 °F), with recrystallization causing chert to coarsen, appear foliated, and take on a sugary appearance (Luedtke 1992).…”

Section: Flaked Stone ___________________mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on cultural resources and archaeology

Ryan¹,

Jones²,

Koerner³

et al. 2012

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This state-of-knowledge review provides a synthesis of the effects of fire on cultural resources, which can be used by fire managers, cultural resource (CR) specialists, and archaeologists to more effectively manage wildland vegetation, fuels, and fire. The goal of the volume is twofold: (1) to provide cultural resource/archaeological professionals and policy makers with a primer on fuels, fire behavior, and fire effects to enable them to work more effectively with the fire management community to protect resources during fuels treatment and restoration projects and wildfire suppression activities; and (2) to provide fire and land management professionals and policy makers with a greater understanding of the value of cultural resource protection and the methods available to evaluate and mitigate risks to CR. The synthesis provides a conceptual fire effects framework for planning, managing, and modeling fire effects (chapter1) and a primer on fire and fuel processes and fire effects prediction modeling (chapter 2). A synthesis of the effects of fire on various cultural resource materials is provided for ceramics (chapter 3), lithics (chapter 4), rock art (chapter 5), historic-period artifacts/materials (chapter 6), and below-ground features (chapter 7). Chapter 8 discusses the importance of cultural landscapes to indigenous peoples and emphasizes the need to actively involve native people in the development of collaborative management plans. The use and practical implications of this synthesis are the subject of the final chapter (chapter 9).Keywords: cultural resources, heritage resources, archaeology, fire regime, fire environment, fuels management, fire management, fire planning, wildfire, prescribed fire, First-Order fire effects, Second-Order fire effects, Third-Order fire effects, Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER), fire severity, traditional cultural knowledge (TKE), cultural landscapesTo order, check any box or boxes below, fill in the address form, and send to the mailing address listed below. Or send your order and your address in mailing label form to one of the other listed media.RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 1. Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on fauna. Send to: ________________________________________________________________________________ Name RMRS-GTR ________________________________________________________________________________ AddressYou may order additional copies of this publication by sending your mailing information in label form through one of the following media. Please specify the publication title and number. Publishing ServicesTelephone ( Summary ____________________________________Cultural resources refer to the physical evidence of human occupations that cultural resource specialists and archaeologists use to reconstruct the past. This includes the objects, locations, and landscapes that play a significant role in the history or cultural traditions of a group of people. Cultural resources include artifacts of historical significance left by prehistoric aboriginal p...

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Earthquake-induced burial of archaeological sites along the southern Washington coast about A.D. 1700

et al. 1996

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Thermal Alteration of Silica Minerals: An Archeological Approach

Cited by 146 publications

References 1 publication

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on cultural resources and archaeology

Earthquake-induced burial of archaeological sites along the southern Washington coast about A.D. 1700

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