From petrographic analysis to stereomicroscopic characterisation: a geoarchaeological approach to identify quartzite artefacts in the Cantabrian Region

Abstract

Several isolated studies have tried to understand quartzite from an archaeological perspective by applying two different methodological approaches. The first one is based on non-destructive characterisation, aiming to understand human procurement and management of quartzite, without solid geoarchaeological criteria. The second characterised the material from archaeological sites using only petrographic or geochemical perspectives of a limited sample. Currently, both perspectives are unconnected, creating a methodological gap that needs to be solved to study the procurement and management of quartzite in greater depth. The present study, mainly methodological, will explore the gap between petrographic analysis and non-destructive characterisation. Doing so, we could fill this vacuum of information and generate a solid geoarchaeological basis to characterise not only a sample but complete assemblages. To this end, we analyse the lithic assemblages at El Arteu and El Habario, two Middle-Palaeolithic sites in the Cantabrian Region, northern Spain. We summarise the main results derived from petrographic analysis, but especially we will focus on non-destructive criteria to characterise the lithic surfaces of archaeological quartzite using stereoscope microscopy. This process allows us to understand the complete assemblage but also, through technological characterisation, understand the management of different quartzite petrogenetic types in both sites.

Quartzite procurement in conglomerates and deposits: Geoarchaeological characterization of potential catchment areas in the central part of the Cantabrian Region, Spain

“…The sites of El Arteu and El Habario are situated in the central part of the research area. We selected these sites because their assemblages are almost fully composed of quartzite and the high intravariability of this rock, as pointed out by previous research (Prieto, Yusta, & Arrizabalaga, 2019; Prieto et al, 2020). Both assemblages have been attributed chrono‐culturally to the Mousterian, with discoidal reduction methods.…”

“…Quartzite, the second most‐often utilized raw material in the Cantabrian Paleolithic, has only been systematically analyzed in the last few years (Blomme et al, 2012; Cnudde et al, 2013; Dalpra & Pitblado, 2016; Pedergnana et al, 2017; Prieto, Yusta, & Arrizabalaga, 2019; Prieto et al, 2020; Soto et al, 2020; Veldeman et al, 2012). These studies define and characterize quartzite from geoarchaeological perspectives, including both metamorphic and sedimentary siliceous rocks, thus expanding the range of raw material studied by archaeologists.…”

“…These areas include primary outcrops, secondary position outcrops or conglomerates, and Quaternary unconsolidated deposits. We also describe and characterize the quartzite in these contexts using macroscopic, stereoscopic, petrographic, and geochemical methods, following the approaches proposed by our team (Prieto, Yusta, & Arrizabalaga, 2019; Prieto et al, 2020). The procurement mechanism involved in the archaeological sites of El Habario and El Arteu will be described through the characterization of their quartzite remains and the analysis of their cortexes.…”

Back to the Gravettian

“…The analysis is especially focused on the quar$ ite, a rock which constitutes approximately 80% of the assemblage. To analyse this material, we applied a methodological approach that combines petrographic characterisation, X-Ray fl uorescence and stereomicroscopy using the same protocol proposed in the region by our team (Prieto et al, 2019;Prieto et al, 2020). This procedure allows us to characterise and assign each lithic fragment to a petrogenetic type of quar$ ite using a solid geoarchaeological basis.…”

Piecing together a new mosaic: Gravettian lithic resources and economic territories in the Western Pyrenees

“…Furthermore, the relation between raw material data and typological, technological, typometric and use-wear information is allowing the determination of their management and use patterns (e.g. Rios-Garaizar 2012; Arrizabalaga et al 2014;García-Rojas 2014;Calvo 2019;Calvo et al 2019;Prieto et al 2020).…”