An Early Holocene Lithic Assemblage from Dibé Rockshelter, South-Central Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Hila Ashkenazy ◽  
Yonatan Sahle
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Similar Reduction ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
Material Sources ◽  
South Central ◽  
Siliceous Rocks

Abstract The dearth of securely dated assemblages in the Horn of Africa limits a comprehensive understanding of human adaptation across the Early Holocene. This paper presents results from initial analyses of lithic material from Dibé rockshelter in the Arsi lowlands, Ethiopia. Radiocarbon dates confirm occupation of Dibé rockshelter by hunter-gatherers directly following improved climatic conditions marking the onset of the Holocene. Microliths dominate both the surface and excavated sub-assemblages. Micro-burins and Levallois items are present, although more frequent as surface finds. Regionally available siliceous rocks were extensively exploited, with greater variety in the older occupation layers signifying differential access to raw material sources and/or wider foraging ranges. Largely similar reduction patterns and toolkits across the sampled sequence imply continuity in lithic tradition. This, coupled with the total absence of finds commonly associated with early food production, suggests that Dibé was abandoned during one of the abrupt arid episodes of the Early/Mid-Holocene.

New excavations at the late Pleistocene site of Chinchihuapi I, Chile

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom D. Dillehay ◽  
Carlos Ocampo ◽  
Jose Saavedra ◽  
Mario Pino ◽  
Linda Scott-Cummings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Occupied Site ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
South Central ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Human Use ◽  
Monte Verde ◽  
Point Type

AbstractThis paper presents new excavation data on the Chinchihuapi I (CH-I) locality within the Monte Verde site complex, located along Chinchihuapi Creek in the cool, temperate Valdivian rain forest of south-central Chile. The 2017 and 2018 archaeological excavations carried out in this open-air locality reveal further that CH-I is an intermittently occupied site dating from the Early Holocene (~10,000 cal yr BP) to the late Pleistocene (at least ~14,500 cal yr BP) and probably earlier. A new series of radiocarbon dates refines the chronology of human use of the site during this period. In this paper, we describe the archaeological and stratigraphic contexts of the recent excavations and analyze the recovered artifact assemblages. A fragmented Monte Verde II point type on an exotic quartz newly recovered from excavations at CH-I indicates that this biface design existed in at least two areas of the wider site complex ~14,500 cal yr BP. In addition, associated with the early Holocene component at CH-I are later Paijan-like points recovered with lithic tools and debris and other materials. We discuss the geographic distribution of diagnostic artifacts from the site and their probable relationship to other early sites in South America.

Over the hills and far away: Middle to Late Woodland archaeology and toolstone conveyance at Hyre Mound (46RD1), West Virginia

2020 ◽  
pp. 019769312097631
Author(s):  
Richard L Rosencrance ◽  
Amy J Hirshman
Keyword(s):  
West Virginia ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Late Woodland ◽  
Woodland Period ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Burial Mound ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Late Woodland Period ◽  
Material Sources ◽  
Lithic Raw Material

The archaeology of the eastern West Virginia uplands remains significantly understudied compared to other areas of the Appalachian Plateau. Bettye Broyles’ excavations at the Hyre Mound site (46RD1) in 1963 recovered a variety of artifacts within and directly adjacent to a burial mound but the excavations remain largely unpublished. We provide a report of Broyles’ excavations, new radiocarbon dates, and an analysis of the lithic raw material frequencies at the site. Material culture and ceremonial practices suggest the initial mound construction dates to the Middle Woodland period. Radiocarbon dating of cultural features confirms that people also used the locality during the Late Woodland period. Lithic raw material frequencies indicate a preference for non-local, Hillsdale chert found ∼100 km from the site throughout both time periods. The directionality of toolstone conveyance supports existing models that emphasize the quality and location of raw material sources and the orientation of the region’s physiography.

scholarly journals Obsidian from the Site of Piano dei Cardoni, Ustica (Palermo, Italy): Preliminary Results on the First Occupation of the Island

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-290
Author(s):  
Claudia Speciale ◽  
Kyle P. Freund ◽  
Sandro de Vita ◽  
Nunzia Larosa ◽  
Vincenza Forgia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Material ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
Material Sources ◽  
Southern Side ◽  
Ams Dating ◽  
First Time ◽  
Xrf Analyses

Abstract New investigations on Ustica (Palermo, Sicily) originated from the need to improve our knowledge of the island’s archaeological and environmental heritage. Through field surveys, particular attention was paid to human occupation in the Neolithic phases and focused on the less investigated southern side of the island. The systematic survey of the area of Piano dei Cardoni in 2018 brought to light a new Middle/Late Neolithic site, already partially documented in the literature. The island was settled for the first time during these phases, as also testified from the area of Punta Spalmatore. The presence of Serra d’Alto, incised dark burnished, and Diana styles suggests that the site and the archaeological assemblage dates from the mid to late 5th millennium BC, as confirmed by AMS dating. In addition to pottery, obsidian artifacts were also recovered, and a preliminary study of these materials is presented here. Portable XRF analyses on a sample of 41 obsidian artifacts, representing a high percentage of the lithic assemblage compared to chert tools, show that the provenance of the raw material is Gabellotto Gorge (Lipari) and Balata dei Turchi (Pantelleria). These results provide new insight into broader regional debates about obsidian technology and its exchange during the Neolithic and open an important consideration for sites that are far from the raw material sources.

scholarly journals Design theory analysis of biface technology at the Botanie Lake Dam site (EcRj 15), south-central British Columbia

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ewonus
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Contact Period ◽  
Contact Materials ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
South Central ◽  
Dam Site ◽  
Lithic Artifacts

Editor’s note: This article appears as a reprint from Volume 18 due to printing errors. Nexus apologizes to the author for the delay in publishing the work in its entirety. A design analysis is applied to six bifacial tools recovered from the Botanie Lake Dam site (EcRj 15) on the Plateau of southern British Columbia. While these artifacts, selected from the lithic assemblage of this late pre-contact period mat lodge campsite, show some internal variation, they share important characteristics indicative of their use by Plateau peoples. Acute edge angles and less durable raw material suggests that these bifacial tools were used to cut relatively soft contact materials such as herbaceous plants. Their lengthy use lives and multifunctionality make them effective solutions for the requirements of plant and animal processing during a mobile seasonal round. This application of design theory to a small sample of lithic artifacts from a seasonal camp site with an hypothesized focus on root resource harvesting and processing adds to the growing number of studies employing this approach to lithic analysis.

scholarly journals Neolithic Dispersal in Far Northeast Europe: Ways and Chronology

Radiocarbon ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor N Karmanov ◽  
Natalia E Zaretskaya ◽  
Evgenia L Lychagina
Keyword(s):  
Komi Republic ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Siliceous Rocks ◽  
Traditional Sense ◽  
European Forest ◽  
Physical Features

By analyzing archaeological evidence and radiocarbon dates, we studied the Neolithization of Far Northeast Europe (Russian Perm' region, Komi Republic, and Nenets autonomous district). Our study shows that this process in the eastern European forest zone was rather ambiguous. Taking into account the periodicity of settling and short duration of residence here, the term “Neolithization” in its traditional sense cannot be applied to some territories in this region. For instance, the emergence of ceramics—the most important feature of Neolithization here—did not affect considerably the way of life of the ancient population, which continued the traditions of the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers well into the Early Neolithic. Such attributes as heat treatment of clay paste and siliceous rocks for changing physical features of natural materials, bifacial knapping, and construction of subterranean dwellings represent the archaeological evidence of Neolithization in the region.

San Patrice: An Example of Late Paleoindian Adaptive Versatility in South-Central North America

2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 539-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Jennings
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
South Central ◽  
Late Paleoindian

Coincident with the climatic changes occurring during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, a number of regionally distinct Paleoindian projectile-point styles emerged throughout North America. This paper examines one understudied and poorly understood Late Paleoindian style, the San Patrice point. Although traditionally considered woodland-adapted hunter-gatherers, projectile-point distributions indicate that San Patrice groups, utilizing the same hafting and resharpening technologies, also made significant use of plains resources. Raw material sourcing reveals that while all San Patrice populations focused on local toolstone sources, plains bands were more mobile than those in the woodlands. These findings have implications for our greater understanding of Paleoindian adaptations. While some hunter-gatherers developed specialized, environmentally specific strategies, San Patrice groups adopted more generalized strategies enabling them to succeed in diverse settings.

THE LAST HUNTER-GATHERERS AND EARLY FARMERS OF THE MIDDLE SOUTHERN BUH RIVER VALLEY (CENTRAL UKRAINE) IN VIII–V MILL. BC

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Dmytro Kiosak ◽  
Nadiia Kotova ◽  
Willy Tinner ◽  
Soenke Szidat ◽  
Ebbe H Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Valley ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Human Settlement ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Ceramic Bearing ◽  
Early Farmers ◽  
Late Mesolithic

ABSTRACT A new series of 19 radiocarbon dates provides new insights on the human settlement activity in central Ukraine. The paper presents data from the Early Holocene until the establishment of Trypillian mega-sites in the late Vth mill. BC. Our new dates from a long sequence of the site of Melnychna Krucha refine the chronology of the Middle and Late Mesolithic and local ceramic-bearing “Buh-Dniester” culture. Additional dates were obtained on bones from Linear Pottery culture sites and Trypillian sites of stages A3 and B1.

scholarly journals Design Theory Analysis of Biface Technology at the Botanie Lake Dam Site (EcRj 15), South-Central British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ewonus
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Contact Period ◽  
Contact Materials ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
South Central ◽  
Dam Site ◽  
Lithic Artifacts

A design analysis is applied to six bifacial tools recovered from the Botanie Lake Dam site (EcRj 15) on the Plateau of southern British Columbia. While these artifacts, selected from the lithic assemblage of this late pre-contact period mat lodge campsite, show some internal variation, they share important characteristics indicative of their use by Plateau peoples. Acute edge angles and less durable raw material suggests that these bifacial tools were used to cut relatively soft contact materials such as herbaceous plants. Their lengthy use lives and multifunctionality make them effective solutions for the requirements of plant and animal processing during a mobile seasonal round. This application of design theory to a small sample of lithic artifacts from a seasonal camp site with an hypothesized focus on root resource harvesting and processing adds to the growing number of studies employing this approach to lithic analysis.

Calculation of the Glaze Recipe for Porcelain Feldspar Products Based on their Molecular Formula Rationalization

2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-134
Author(s):  
Ion Teoreanu ◽  
Roxana Lucia Dumitrache ◽  
Stefania Stoleriu
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Computer Programs ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Molecular Formula ◽  
Design Equation ◽  
Material Sources

Any change of the raw material sources for glazes, economically, ecologically motivated, and also from the glaze quality point of view, is conditioned by the molecular formula rationalization and by the variation limits of the molecular formula, respectively. The proper glaze compositions are placed within their limit variation intervals with optimized processing and utilization properties. For this purpose, the rationalization criteria and procedures of molecular formulas are summarized in the present paper, as well as the results referring to their rationalization obtained in the authors� previous work. Thus, one starts from a base of raw materials that are selected, usable and also accessible for the design and producing of the glazes. On these bases the groundwork and the design equation for the glaze recipes are developed, exemplified for a single glaze. For an easy access to results, computer programs are used for an easy access to results.

Colour and Directional Symbolism in Ancestral Pueblo Radial Offerings from Chaco Canyon

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Hannah V. Mattson
Keyword(s):  
American Southwest ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Chaco Canyon ◽  
Assemblage Theory ◽  
Ancestral Pueblo ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Material Sources ◽  
Regional System ◽  
Roof Support

Dedicatory offerings of small colourful objects are often found in pre-Hispanic architectural contexts in the Ancestral Pueblo region of the American Southwest. These deposits are particularly numerous in the roof support pillars of circular ritual structures (kivas) at the site of Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, which served as the ceremonial hub of the Chacoan regional system between the tenth and twelfth centuries ce. Based on the importance of directionality and colour in traditional Pueblo worldviews, archaeologists speculate that the contents of these radial offerings may likewise reference significant Chacoan cosmographic elements. In this paper, I explore this idea by examining the distribution of colours and materials in kiva pilaster repositories in relation to directional quadrants, prominent landscape features, and raw material sources. I discuss the results in the context of Pueblo cosmology and assemblage theory, arguing that particular colours were polyvalent and relational, deriving their meanings from their positions within interacting and heterogenous assemblages.

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