From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop

Traditionally, the sourcing of prehistoric stone tools in Britain has been done most successfully by comparing the petrological and geochemical characteristics of individual stone tools with rock and debitage from known prehistoric quarry sites and stone tool production sites. However, this is a ver...

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Main Authors: Amy Davis, Vin Davis, Mik Markham
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of York 2009-09-01
Series:Internet Archaeology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue26/davisetal_index.html
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author Amy Davis
Vin Davis
Mik Markham
author_facet Amy Davis
Vin Davis
Mik Markham
author_sort Amy Davis
collection DOAJ
description Traditionally, the sourcing of prehistoric stone tools in Britain has been done most successfully by comparing the petrological and geochemical characteristics of individual stone tools with rock and debitage from known prehistoric quarry sites and stone tool production sites. However, this is a very rare occurrence because only a very small proportion of stone tools in Britain have a secure archaeological provenance, including those from prehistoric quarries or production sites. Substantial numbers of stone tools in the British archaeological record are chance finds; they lack a secure archaeological context. Through a case study of Carrock Fell and the Implement Petrology Group XXXIV, this article presents a new methodological and statistical model for assembling, analysing and interpreting fieldwork evidence, which combines petrological, geochemical portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) data, and geochemical inductively coupled plasma-atomic spectroscopy (ICP) data to establish a signature for 17 gabbroic prehistoric stone implements (Table 1). These results are then compared with similar data gathered from rocks at outcrop. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, seven gabbroic implements could be securely provenanced to rock from particular outcrop locations. The model is transferable to other similar contexts where sources of implement rock are sought from apparently random distributions of stone tools.
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spelling doaj.art-41bb58493b13414091cd20de0fb4be842024-01-02T00:40:52ZengUniversity of YorkInternet Archaeology1363-53872009-09-012610.11141/ia.26.9 From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcropAmy DavisVin Davis0Mik MarkhamIPG and Macau Inter University InstituteTraditionally, the sourcing of prehistoric stone tools in Britain has been done most successfully by comparing the petrological and geochemical characteristics of individual stone tools with rock and debitage from known prehistoric quarry sites and stone tool production sites. However, this is a very rare occurrence because only a very small proportion of stone tools in Britain have a secure archaeological provenance, including those from prehistoric quarries or production sites. Substantial numbers of stone tools in the British archaeological record are chance finds; they lack a secure archaeological context. Through a case study of Carrock Fell and the Implement Petrology Group XXXIV, this article presents a new methodological and statistical model for assembling, analysing and interpreting fieldwork evidence, which combines petrological, geochemical portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) data, and geochemical inductively coupled plasma-atomic spectroscopy (ICP) data to establish a signature for 17 gabbroic prehistoric stone implements (Table 1). These results are then compared with similar data gathered from rocks at outcrop. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, seven gabbroic implements could be securely provenanced to rock from particular outcrop locations. The model is transferable to other similar contexts where sources of implement rock are sought from apparently random distributions of stone tools.http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue26/davisetal_index.htmlarchaeologygeochemistrypetrographygeologyCarrock Fellimplement sourcinggabbrohill fort
spellingShingle Amy Davis
Vin Davis
Mik Markham
From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
Internet Archaeology
archaeology
geochemistry
petrography
geology
Carrock Fell
implement sourcing
gabbro
hill fort
title From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
title_full From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
title_fullStr From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
title_full_unstemmed From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
title_short From Implement to Outcrop: a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
title_sort from implement to outcrop a model for identifying implement source rock at outcrop
topic archaeology
geochemistry
petrography
geology
Carrock Fell
implement sourcing
gabbro
hill fort
url http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue26/davisetal_index.html
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