Identifying and recovering indigenous stone tools and stone fragments requires a combination of fieldwork techniques, basic hand tools, and specialized analytical instruments. Here’s an overview of the main instruments and methods used by archaeologists and collectors:
Field Survey and Recovery Tools
- Trowels: Used for careful excavation to avoid damaging fragile artifacts[1].
- Brushes: For gently sweeping away loose dirt and exposing stone tools or fragments[1].
- Screens (sieves): Soil is sifted through mesh screens to reveal small stone fragments that might otherwise be missed[1].
- Buckets and Tape Measures: For transporting excavated material and recording precise locations[1].
- Grids (string and nails): Used to divide the site into sections, helping to map artifact locations accurately[1].
- GPS Devices and Notebooks: Essential for recording the exact find spots of artifacts, which is crucial for archaeological context and later analysis[2][3].
Initial Identification Tools
- Magnifying Glass or Loupe: To examine surface details and look for signs of human modification, such as flaking, pecking, or grinding[4][2].
- Spray Bottle with Water: Cleaning dust from stones can reveal worked surfaces or tool marks[4].
- Field Guides and Reference Collections: Books, online resources, and museum collections help compare found objects with known types of indigenous tools[2][3].
Laboratory Analysis Instruments
- Microscopes (including high-power and confocal laser scanning types): Used for detailed analysis of edge wear, flaking patterns, and microscopic striations that indicate tool use and manufacturing techniques[5][6].
- For example, laser scanning confocal microscopy allows for three-dimensional surface analysis to study wear patterns and tool function[6].
- Metrological Instruments: Used to measure surface roughness and other quantitative features of stone tools, aiding in the identification of use-wear and manufacturing methods[6].
- Magnet: Sometimes used to test for iron content in rocks, which can help distinguish tool materials from naturally occurring stones[4].
Analytical and Comparative Methods
- Use-Wear Analysis: By comparing microscopic edge damage on ancient tools to that on experimentally replicated tools, researchers can infer how tools were used (e.g., scraping hide vs. cutting bone)[5].
- Morphological Comparison: Examining the shape, flake scars, and edge angles of artifacts against known typologies to classify and identify tool types[7][2][8].
- Material Identification: Determining the type of stone (e.g., flint, chert, obsidian) using visual inspection, sometimes with the help of geologists or mineralogists[2][9].
Summary Table: Instruments and Their Uses
Instrument/Tool | Purpose/Use |
Trowel, brush, screen | Excavation and recovery of artifacts |
Magnifying glass, loupe | Surface examination for human modification |
Microscope (optical, confocal) | Detailed edge and use-wear analysis |
GPS, notebook | Precise recording of artifact locations |
Spray bottle, magnet | Cleaning and basic material identification |
Field guide, reference collection | Comparative identification of tool types |
Metrology equipment | Quantitative surface and wear analysis |
Conclusion
Finding and identifying indigenous stone tools is a multidisciplinary process. It begins with careful excavation using basic hand tools, followed by initial identification with magnification and reference materials, and is often completed with advanced laboratory analysis using microscopes and metrological instruments to study wear and manufacturing marks. Accurate documentation and comparison to known typologies are essential throughout the process[7][2][1][6].
⁂
- https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/ology-cards/218-excavation
- https://www.theclassroom.com/how-to-identify-the-stone-tools-of-native-americans-12084193.html
- https://australian.museum/blog/science/knapping-and-archaeology-aboriginal-stone-tools-from-western-nsw/
- https://stonebridgeimports.ca/blogs/educational-posts/rockhounding-tools-for-safe-productive-mineral-collecting?srsltid=AfmBOor8RYFbkf0e65xYYJAcIO43dI3VgXRHo-gMaS3qLHDmt4RBVE4x
- http://parkscanadahistory.com/publications/north/nunavut-stone-tools.pdf
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sca.20272
- https://peterborougharchaeology.org/archaeology-skills-techniques/identification-of-knapped-flints/
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/stone-tools-in-the-paleolithic-and-neolithic-near-east/lithics-basics/487AB7381E1E3B42C4980448AF364C40
- https://earthsci.org/aboriginal/geostone/Geostone.html
No comments:
Post a Comment