Breaking blades: Experimental programme on intentional fracturing systems of lithic tools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.v3i2.1888Keywords:
lithic industry; intentional breaking; fracture marks; experimental archaeology; blade technologyAbstract
This research represents a first approach to the characterization of blade fractures produced intentionally using various techniques, according to an experimental protocol. The objective is to establish a reference base of marks which serve to define the fractures documented in the archaeological record.
The fractured blade being a very common element in different sites throughout in the Iberian Peninsula during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Ages. In fact, from the Late Neolithic a new concept applied to the creation of lithic tools arose, involving the fracturing of blades through the improvement of fracturing techniques. In addition, a preference for obtaining the mesial fragments of the blades or those which have more regular measurements can be observed. This type of lithic instrument represents high percentages of all the retouched material, and may possess only one fractured end or, more commonly, both, bi-fractured.
With the archaeological evidence, we decided to carry out an experiment to define and classify the marks that result during the intentional fracturing of laminar fragments, contemplating different variables. We used three types of techniques for fracturing blades: flex, direct percussion and indirect percussion, and we used different types of hammer, made of stone, antler and copper.
For the results, we have standardized the descriptions of different parts of the fracture distinguishing: types of fracture, fracture planes, fracture marks and macrowear. However, we should point out that this experimentation is the beginning of a line of research that, over time, must integrate a wider experimental base which also considers the other mentioned causes of fracture, as well as the functional objective of these tools.
The preliminary study through this experimentation has made it possible to define and describe the types of fractures resulting from the use of different blade fracturing methods. We also have described the main types of fracture marks generated from each fracturing technique.
References
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Bernaldo de Quirós, F.; Cabrera, V.; Cacho, C. Vega, L.G. 1981, Proyecto de análisis técnico para las industrias líticas. Trabajos de Prehistoria 38(1): 9-38. (in Spanish) (“Technical analysis project for the lithic industries”) URL: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=257734
Crabtree, D. E. 1972, An Introduction to Flint working. Occasional Papers of the Idaho State University Museum Vol. 28, Idaho State University Museum, Pocatello, 98 p.
Chapman, J. 2001, Object Fragmentation in the Neolithic and Copper Age of Southeast Europe. In: The Archaeology of Cult and Religion (Biehl, P. F., Bertemes, F. & Meller, H., Eds.), Archaeolingua, Budapest: p. 89-106.
Deller, B. D., & Ellis, C. J. 2001, Evidence for late Paleoindian ritual from the Caradoc site (AfHj-104), southwestern Ontario, Canada. American Antiquity, 66(2): 267-284. doi:10.2307/2694608
Flegenheimer, N.; & Weitzel, C. 2007, Caminar sobre piedras: los artefactos fracturados de Cerro El Sombrero. Comechingonia Virtual, Actas del XVI Congreso Nacional de Arqueología Argentina, 3: p. 263-267. (in Spanish) (“Walking on stones: the fractured artifacts of Cerro El Sombrero”)
Flores Fernández, R. 2011, El yacimiento de Humanejos, Parla, Madrid. In: Yacimientos con campaniforme de la región de Madrid. Nuevos estudios (Blasco, C., Liseau, C., & Ríos, P., Eds.), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid: p. 9-16. (in Spanish) (“The Humanejos deposit, Parla, Madrid”)
Flores Fernández, R., & Garrido Pena, R. 2012, Campaniforme y conflicto social: Evidencias del yacimiento de Humanejos (Parla, Madrid). In: Actas de las novenas jornadas de Patrimonio Arqueológico en la Comunidad de Madrid. Comunidad de Madrid, Consejería de Cultura y Deportes. Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico, Madrid: p. 159-168. (in Spanish) (“Campaniform and social conflict: Evidence from the Humanejos deposit (Parla, Madrid)”) URL: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6066685
Fortea Pérez, J.; Martí Oliver, & C.; Cabanilles, J.J. 1985, La industria lítica tallada del Neolítico Antiguo en la vertiente Mediterránea de la Península ibérica. In: Chipped Stone Industries of the Early Farming Cultures in Europe (papers delivered on the International Symposium). Archaeologia Interregionalis Vol. 9, Wydawn Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warsaw: p. 7-22. (in Spanish) (“The groundstone lithic industry from the Early Neolithic on the Mediterranean side of the Iberian Peninsula”)
Frison, G. C., & Bradley, B. 1980, Folsom tool and technology at the Hanson Site, Wyoming. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 135 p.
Gallet, M. 1998, Pour une technologie des débitages laminaires préhistoriques. Dosier de documentation archéologique Vol. 19, (Reprinted in 2002), Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, 180 p. (in French) (“For a technology of prehistoric laminar debitage”)
Gallet, M, & Texier, P.J. 1991, Caracterisation et evaluation des contraintes lors d'un débitage experimental de lames par pression, Perspectives experimentales et implications archéologiques. In: La pierre préhistorique (Menu, M., & Walter, P., Eds.), Laboratoire de recherche des musées de France, París: p. 127-132. (in French) (“Characterization and stress evaluation during experimental blade débitage by pressure, Experimental perspectives and archaeological implications”)
Gutiérrez Sáez, C. 1998, Aportaciones al estudio de la industria lítica a la comprensión del fenómeno calcolítico. Yacimiento de Llanete de los Moros (Montoro, Córdoba). Espacio, Tiempo y Forma, Serie I, Prehistoria y Arqueología, 11: 191-210. (in Spanish) (“Contributions to the study of the lithic industry to the understanding of the Chalcolithic phenomenon. Deposit of Llanete de los Moros (Montoro, Córdoba)”) URL: http://revistas.uned.es/index.php/ETFI/article/view/4673
Inizan, M.L. Roche. H., & Tixier, J. 1992, Technology of Knapped Stone. Préhistorie de la Pierre Taillée Vol. 3. Cercle de Recherches et d’Etudes Préhistoriques, Meudon, 127 p.
Jennings, T. A. 2011, Experimental production of bending and radial flake fractures and implications for lithic technologies. Journal of Archaeological Science, 38(12): 3644-3651. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.08.035
Lintz, C., & Dockall, J. 2002, The spreen cache: A case study of a prehistoric curated collection of broken tools from 41RN108, Runnels county, Texas. Lithic Technology, 27(1): 13-37. doi:10.1080/01977261.2002.11720987
Miller, M. J. 2006, An experimental study of lithic biface manufacture: Toward understanding the perverse fracture. Master of Arts dissertation paper, Unpublished Master’s thesis, University of Exeter, Exeter. (Not consulted by the authors. This reference is mentioned in another paper and was considered of potential relevance.)
Pelegrin, J. 2000, Les techniques de débitage laminaire au Tardiglaciaire: critères de diagnose et quelques ré e- xions. In: L’Europe centrale et septentrionale auTardiglaciaire: confrontation des modèles régionaux de peuplement. Actes de la Table ronde internationale de Nemours, 14-16 mai 1997. (Valentin, B., Bodu P., & Christensen, M., Eds.), Mémoires du Musée de Préhistoire d’Ile de France Vol. 7, Association pour la promotion de la recherche archéologique en Ile-de-France (APRAIF), Nemours: p. 73-85. (in French) (“Laminar debitage techniques at the Late Glacial: diagnostic criteria and some revisions”)
Pelegrin, J. 2012, New Experimental Observations for the Characterization of Pressure Blade Production Techniques. In: The Emergence of Pressure Knapping: From Origin to Modern Experimentation (Desrosiers, P. & Rhamani, N., Eds.), Springer Editions, Bston: p. 465-500.
Pelegrin, J., & Morgado, A. 2007, Primeras experimentaciones sobre la producción laminar del Neolítico Reciente-Edad del Cobre del sur de la Península Ibérica. In: Arqueología Experimental en la Península Ibérica: investigación, didáctica y patrimonio (Ramos Sáinz, M.L., González Urquijo, J.E., & Baena Preysler, J., Eds.), Asociación Española de Arqueología Experimental, Santander, Spain: p. 131-139. (in Spanish) (“First experiments on the laminar production of the Recent Neolithic - Copper Age of the south of the Iberian Peninsula”)
Ramos Muñoz, J. 1989, Las industrias líticas del Neolítico en Andalucía, sus implicaciones espaciales y económicas, Zephyrus: Revista de prehistoria y arqueología, 41-42: 113-148.
Ramos Muñoz, J. 1992, La industria lítica del Cobre Pleno del poblado de Valencia de la Concepción (Sevilla). Norba, Revista de Historia, 11-12: 43-74. (in Spanish) (“The lithic industry of the Cobre Pleno of the town of Valencia de la Concepción (Seville)”) URL: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=109873
Weitzel, C. 2010, Una propuesta analítica y clasificatoria para las fracturas en artefactos líticos formatizados por talla. In: Arqueología Argentina en el Bicentenario de la Revolución de Mayo, Vol. 1 (Bárcena, J.R. & Chiavazza, H., Eds.), Congreso Nacional de Arqueología Argentina Vol. 17, Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales (INCIHUSA), Buenos Aires: p. 91-96. (in Spanish) (“An analytical and classificatory proposal for fractures in lithic artifacts formatted by size”)
Weitzel, C. 2011, Rotura intencional de artefactos líticos formatizados en la Región Pampeana bonaerense. Revista del Museo de Antropología, 4: 47-64. (in Spanish) (“Intentional breakage of lithic artifacts formatted in the Pompean Region of Buenos Aires”) URL: https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/antropologia/article/view/5494
Weitzel, C. 2012, Cuentan los fragmentos: Clasificación y causas de fractura de artefactos formatizados por talla. Intersecciones en antropología, 13(1): 43-55. (in Spanish) (“Count the fragments: Classification and causes of fracture of artifacts formatted by size”) URL: http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1850-373X2012000100003
Weitzel, C. & Colombo, M. 2006, ¿Qué hacemos con los fragmentos? Un experimento en fractura de artefactos líticos tallados. La Zaranda de Ideas. Revista de Jóvenes Investigadores en Arqueología, 2: 19-33. (in Spanish) (“What do we do with the fragments? An experiment in fracturing carved lithic artifacts”)
Weitzel, C., & Flegenheimer, N. 2007, Cerro el sombrero, Argentina: Fractured stones on a flat hilltop. Current Research in the Pleistocene, 24: 68-70.
Weitzel, C., Borrazzo, K., Ceraso, A. & Balirán, C. 2014, Trampling fragmentation potential of lithic artifacts: An experimental approach. Intersecciones En Antropología, 15: 97-110. URL: http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1850-373X2014000300009
Whittaker, J. C. 1995, Flintknapping. making and understanding stone tools, University of Texas Press, Austin, 341 p.
Aschero, C.A. (1975), Ensayo para una clasificación morfológica de artefactos líticos aplicada a estudios tipológicos comparativos. Unpublished manuscript in the library of the Instituto de Arqueología, FFyL-UBA, Report presented to the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires. Argentina, Buenos Aires. (in Spanish) ("Test for a morphological classification of lithic artifacts applied to comparative typological studies") (Not consulted by the authors. This reference is mentioned in another paper and was considered of potential relevance.)
Bernaldo de Quirós, F.; Cabrera, V.; Cacho, C. Vega, L.G. 1981, Proyecto de análisis técnico para las industrias líticas. Trabajos de Prehistoria 38(1): 9-38. (in Spanish) (“Technical analysis project for the lithic industries”) URL: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=257734
Crabtree, D. E. 1972, An Introduction to Flint working. Occasional Papers of the Idaho State University Museum Vol. 28, Idaho State University Museum, Pocatello, 98 p.
Chapman, J. 2001, Object Fragmentation in the Neolithic and Copper Age of Southeast Europe. In: The Archaeology of Cult and Religion (Biehl, P. F., Bertemes, F. & Meller, H., Eds.), Archaeolingua, Budapest: p. 89-106.
Deller, B. D., & Ellis, C. J. 2001, Evidence for late Paleoindian ritual from the Caradoc site (AfHj-104), southwestern Ontario, Canada. American Antiquity, 66(2): 267-284. doi:10.2307/2694608
Flegenheimer, N.; & Weitzel, C. 2007, Caminar sobre piedras: los artefactos fracturados de Cerro El Sombrero. Comechingonia Virtual, Actas del XVI Congreso Nacional de Arqueología Argentina, 3: p. 263-267. (in Spanish) (“Walking on stones: the fractured artifacts of Cerro El Sombrero”)
Flores Fernández, R. 2011, El yacimiento de Humanejos, Parla, Madrid. In: Yacimientos con campaniforme de la región de Madrid. Nuevos estudios (Blasco, C., Liseau, C., & Ríos, P., Eds.), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid: p. 9-16. (in Spanish) (“The Humanejos deposit, Parla, Madrid”)
Flores Fernández, R., & Garrido Pena, R. 2012, Campaniforme y conflicto social: Evidencias del yacimiento de Humanejos (Parla, Madrid). In: Actas de las novenas jornadas de Patrimonio Arqueológico en la Comunidad de Madrid. Comunidad de Madrid, Consejería de Cultura y Deportes. Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico, Madrid: p. 159-168. (in Spanish) (“Campaniform and social conflict: Evidence from the Humanejos deposit (Parla, Madrid)”) URL: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6066685
Fortea Pérez, J.; Martí Oliver, & C.; Cabanilles, J.J. 1985, La industria lítica tallada del Neolítico Antiguo en la vertiente Mediterránea de la Península ibérica. In: Chipped Stone Industries of the Early Farming Cultures in Europe (papers delivered on the International Symposium). Archaeologia Interregionalis Vol. 9, Wydawn Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warsaw: p. 7-22. (in Spanish) (“The groundstone lithic industry from the Early Neolithic on the Mediterranean side of the Iberian Peninsula”)
Frison, G. C., & Bradley, B. 1980, Folsom tool and technology at the Hanson Site, Wyoming. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 135 p.
Gallet, M. 1998, Pour une technologie des débitages laminaires préhistoriques. Dosier de documentation archéologique Vol. 19, (Reprinted in 2002), Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, 180 p. (in French) (“For a technology of prehistoric laminar debitage”)
Gallet, M, & Texier, P.J. 1991, Caracterisation et evaluation des contraintes lors d'un débitage experimental de lames par pression, Perspectives experimentales et implications archéologiques. In: La pierre préhistorique (Menu, M., & Walter, P., Eds.), Laboratoire de recherche des musées de France, París: p. 127-132. (in French) (“Characterization and stress evaluation during experimental blade débitage by pressure, Experimental perspectives and archaeological implications”)
Gutiérrez Sáez, C. 1998, Aportaciones al estudio de la industria lítica a la comprensión del fenómeno calcolítico. Yacimiento de Llanete de los Moros (Montoro, Córdoba). Espacio, Tiempo y Forma, Serie I, Prehistoria y Arqueología, 11: 191-210. (in Spanish) (“Contributions to the study of the lithic industry to the understanding of the Chalcolithic phenomenon. Deposit of Llanete de los Moros (Montoro, Córdoba)”) URL: http://revistas.uned.es/index.php/ETFI/article/view/4673
Inizan, M.L. Roche. H., & Tixier, J. 1992, Technology of Knapped Stone. Préhistorie de la Pierre Taillée Vol. 3. Cercle de Recherches et d’Etudes Préhistoriques, Meudon, 127 p.
Jennings, T. A. 2011, Experimental production of bending and radial flake fractures and implications for lithic technologies. Journal of Archaeological Science, 38(12): 3644-3651. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.08.035
Lintz, C., & Dockall, J. 2002, The spreen cache: A case study of a prehistoric curated collection of broken tools from 41RN108, Runnels county, Texas. Lithic Technology, 27(1): 13-37. doi:10.1080/01977261.2002.11720987
Miller, M. J. 2006, An experimental study of lithic biface manufacture: Toward understanding the perverse fracture. Master of Arts dissertation paper, Unpublished Master’s thesis, University of Exeter, Exeter. (Not consulted by the authors. This reference is mentioned in another paper and was considered of potential relevance.)
Pelegrin, J. 2000, Les techniques de débitage laminaire au Tardiglaciaire: critères de diagnose et quelques ré e- xions. In: L’Europe centrale et septentrionale auTardiglaciaire: confrontation des modèles régionaux de peuplement. Actes de la Table ronde internationale de Nemours, 14-16 mai 1997. (Valentin, B., Bodu P., & Christensen, M., Eds.), Mémoires du Musée de Préhistoire d’Ile de France Vol. 7, Association pour la promotion de la recherche archéologique en Ile-de-France (APRAIF), Nemours: p. 73-85. (in French) (“Laminar debitage techniques at the Late Glacial: diagnostic criteria and some revisions”)
Pelegrin, J. 2012, New Experimental Observations for the Characterization of Pressure Blade Production Techniques. In: The Emergence of Pressure Knapping: From Origin to Modern Experimentation (Desrosiers, P. & Rhamani, N., Eds.), Springer Editions, Bston: p. 465-500.
Pelegrin, J., & Morgado, A. 2007, Primeras experimentaciones sobre la producción laminar del Neolítico Reciente-Edad del Cobre del sur de la Península Ibérica. In: Arqueología Experimental en la Península Ibérica: investigación, didáctica y patrimonio (Ramos Sáinz, M.L., González Urquijo, J.E., & Baena Preysler, J., Eds.), Asociación Española de Arqueología Experimental, Santander, Spain: p. 131-139. (in Spanish) (“First experiments on the laminar production of the Recent Neolithic - Copper Age of the south of the Iberian Peninsula”)
Ramos Muñoz, J. 1989, Las industrias líticas del Neolítico en Andalucía, sus implicaciones espaciales y económicas, Zephyrus: Revista de prehistoria y arqueología, 41-42: 113-148.
Ramos Muñoz, J. 1992, La industria lítica del Cobre Pleno del poblado de Valencia de la Concepción (Sevilla). Norba, Revista de Historia, 11-12: 43-74. (in Spanish) (“The lithic industry of the Cobre Pleno of the town of Valencia de la Concepción (Seville)”) URL: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=109873
Weitzel, C. 2010, Una propuesta analítica y clasificatoria para las fracturas en artefactos líticos formatizados por talla. In: Arqueología Argentina en el Bicentenario de la Revolución de Mayo, Vol. 1 (Bárcena, J.R. & Chiavazza, H., Eds.), Congreso Nacional de Arqueología Argentina Vol. 17, Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales (INCIHUSA), Buenos Aires: p. 91-96. (in Spanish) (“An analytical and classificatory proposal for fractures in lithic artifacts formatted by size”)
Weitzel, C. 2011, Rotura intencional de artefactos líticos formatizados en la Región Pampeana bonaerense. Revista del Museo de Antropología, 4: 47-64. (in Spanish) (“Intentional breakage of lithic artifacts formatted in the Pompean Region of Buenos Aires”) URL: https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/antropologia/article/view/5494
Weitzel, C. 2012, Cuentan los fragmentos: Clasificación y causas de fractura de artefactos formatizados por talla. Intersecciones en antropología, 13(1): 43-55. (in Spanish) (“Count the fragments: Classification and causes of fracture of artifacts formatted by size”) URL: http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1850-373X2012000100003
Weitzel, C. & Colombo, M. 2006, ¿Qué hacemos con los fragmentos? Un experimento en fractura de artefactos líticos tallados. La Zaranda de Ideas. Revista de Jóvenes Investigadores en Arqueología, 2: 19-33. (in Spanish) (“What do we do with the fragments? An experiment in fracturing carved lithic artifacts”)
Weitzel, C., & Flegenheimer, N. 2007, Cerro el sombrero, Argentina: Fractured stones on a flat hilltop. Current Research in the Pleistocene, 24: 68-70.
Weitzel, C., Borrazzo, K., Ceraso, A. & Balirán, C. 2014, Trampling fragmentation potential of lithic artifacts: An experimental approach. Intersecciones En Antropología, 15: 97-110. URL: http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1850-373X2014000300009
Whittaker, J. C. 1995, Flintknapping. making and understanding stone tools, University of Texas Press, Austin, 341 p.
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Breaking blades: Experimental programme on intentional fracturing systems of lithic tools. (2016). Journal of Lithic Studies, 3(2), 455-479. https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.v3i2.1888
