Approche expérimentale de techniques paléolithiques de façonnage de roches peu aptes à la taille

Abstract

This paper deals with some working techniques of nonflint stones, such as pecking, hammering, polishing with or without an abrasive agent. After having observed archaeological pieces with traces of theses techniques, we carried out experimentations on varying techniques and raw materials in order to evaluate the relative qualities of these different raw materials and the efficiency of the different tested techniques. A comparison with archaeological documents allows to conclude to a differentiated treatment of nonflint stones at the Upper Palaeolithic. Moreover, these experimentations give some insight on the question of the need of an intermediate abrasive agent for polishing operations ; or that of the distinction between traces of polish due to the fabrication and traces of polish due to the use. Résumé Il sera traité ici de certaines techniques de façonnage de roches peu aptes à la taille, telles que piquetage, martelage, émeulage et abrasion. Après observation de pièces archéologiques présentant des stigmates de ces techniques, nous avons entrepris des expérimentations en faisant varier techniques et matières premières afin d'estimer les qualités relatives de ces différentes matières premières et l'efficacité des différentes techniques testées. Une confrontation avec les documents archéologiques permet de conclure à un traitement différencié des roches autres que le silex au Paléolithique supérieur. En outre, ces expérimentations permettent de soulever une nouvelle fois différentes questions telles que celle de l'efficacité du recours à un agent abrasif intermédiaire lors d'opérations de polissage ; ou encore celle de la différenciation entre traces de polissage de fabrication et traces de poli d'usure.

Pitted stone cobbles in the Mesolithic site of Font del Ros (Southeastern Pre-Pyrenees, Spain): some experimental remarks around a controversial tool type

“…Some ethnographic observations stress the utility of central, regular depressions as finger grips (de Beaune, 2000;Adams, 2002) to hold worked materials. In this sense, we agree that it is not always easy to differentiate between manufacture and use-wear scars (de Beaune, 1993b). It is not the remit of this paper to analyze potential context of this type of artefact.…”

“…A gneiss fragment has two pits with a regular section (Fig. 2f) having characteristics similar to those resulting from experimental piquetage (sensu de Beaune, 1993b). Finally, two limestone cobbles have marks on one surface shaping incipient pits (Fig.…”

“…As Donnart and his colleagues suggested (Donnart et al, 2009) we accept that there is certain versatility in the part played by active elements (hammerstones) and passive elements (anvils) whose roles may interchange during their use-life. This hypothesis applies to most of the Font del Ros percussion blanks provided that the only determining factor is object size, since weight is the attribute that differentiates between hammerstones and anvils (de Beaune, 1993a).…”

“…Similarly, cobbles with pits are mentioned in numerous Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites in Western Europe (among others Simonnet, 1976;Champagne and Spitalié, 1981;Gob and Pirnay, 1980;Becker et al, 1994;de Beaune, 1989de Beaune, , 1997de Beaune, , 2000. The presence of such artefacts is very common in Mesolithic sites on the slopes of the Pyrenees in the Iberian Peninsula: Mendandia (Alday Ruiz, 2006), Aizpea (Barandiaran and Cava, 2001), Balma Marguineda (Guilaine and Martzluff, 1995), Sota Palou, Font del Ros and Balma Guilanyà (Martínez-Moreno et al, 2006a, 2006bMartínez-Moreno and Mora, in press;Roda Gilabert et al, submitted for publication;personal observations).…”

Use-Wear and Residue Analysis in Archaeology

“…(Source: Dubreuil and Savage 2013) Activity Raw material of the tool References Abrading, polishing (active or passive use) Bone sharpening, bone abrasion and bone tool polishing Fine-grained sandstone,Experiments with hammerstones, pitted stones, anvils, spheroids and unmodified pebblesWorking stone: direct and indirect percussion, abrasion Limestone, siltstone, greenstone, basalt, quartziteWilloughby (1985);Hayden (1987);de Beaune (1993de Beaune ( , 1997;Reid and Pritchard-Parker (1993); de Beaune and Pinçon (2001); Goren-Inbar et al (2002); Poissonnier (2002); Cristiani et al (2012); Roda Gilabert et al (2012); de la Torre et al…”