Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages

For most of our existence, humans have manipulated stone into tools that are essential for survival. Generally resistant to degradation, stone tools comprise a large portion of the material culture found at archaeological sites worldwide. Recovery of stone tools during archaeological excavation indicates the location where they were discarded, often tied to where they were used. “Sourcing” refers to attempts to determine the origin of the raw materials used to produce these tools. Knowing the beginning and end points of a tool’s use-life, as well as the likely paths it took between those two locations, can offer insight into trade and procurement patterns. The scholars gathered in this volume employ a variety of unique approaches to real-life contexts in multiple geographic regions. These studies illustrate the numerous, robust options available to archaeologists and researchers today, as well as the problems that must be faced and resolved.

Part 1 of the book explores technological approaches to sourcing in conjunction with innovative survey strategies. The chapters describe a particular method while often offering suggestions for improving the chemical analysis. Part 2 focuses on region-specific and methodological sourcing applications. In a concluding review, Michael D. Glascock critiques each of the chapters and presents his views, developed across 40 years of work in the field, on sourcing raw materials. Broadly, these contributions demonstrate how knowledge of lithic sources, geologic processes, the nature of variation, and regional availability can provide a more thorough understanding of past peoples.

Charles A. Speer is associate professor of anthropology at Idaho State University and the curator of anthropology at Idaho Museum of Natural History.

Ryan M. Parish is associate professor of archaeology at the University of Memphis.

Gustavo Barrientos is a professor of archaeology at the National University of La Plata and principal researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina.

Contributions by Agustín Agnolin, Pedro Andrade, Hassan Aouraghe, Said Bengamra, Alfonso Benito-Calvo, César Borie, Adam Burke, Adrian Burke, Gisela Cassiodoro, Luciana Catella, M. Gema Chacón, Gabriela Coelho dos Santos, Josefina Flores Coni, Kane Ditchfield, Trudy Doelman, Stéphan Dubernet, Analia Castro Esnal, Silvana Espinosa, Carola Flores, Bretton Giles, Michael Glascock, Rafael Goñi, Bernard Gratuze, Hamid Haddoumi, Jillian Huntley, Rebekah Kurpiel, Juan Ignacio Morales, Khori Newlander, Laura Olguín, Fernando Oliva, César Parcero-Oubiña, Cecilia. Pérez de Micou, Ximena Power, Robert Sala-Ramos, Diego Salazar, Marta Sánchez de la Torre, Morgan Smith, María Soto, Mohamed Souhir, Charles Stern, Andoni Tarriño, Norberto Uriz, Ingrid Ward, John Webb, and François Xavier Le Bourdonnec.