Taphonomy and the role of experimentation in microartifact analysis

Homsey-Messer, Lara; Ortmann, Anthony L.; Roe, Lori; Cyr, Howard

doi:10.1179/2168472315y.0000000015

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…5, nr. x, p. xx-xx DOI: https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.1887 depositional trampling wear (e.g., Eren et al 2011;Balirán 2014:), artifact displacement (e.g., Cresson 2010;Homsey-Messer et al 2016), isolating the effects of individual site-formation processes (e.g., Borazzo 2016), and even to examine the taphonomy of specific discarding behaviors (e.g., Borrero 2014). Taphonomic approaches to the formation of the archaeological record are increasingly utilized (e.g., Borazzo & Weitzel 2014), but the taphonomy of North American grooved-axe impaction areas has not been thoroughly investigated (see Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North American grooved-axe replication: A taphonomic experiment in central Connecticut

Swieton¹

2018

JLS

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Taphonomic experiments in lithic technology have been used to understand many facets of the archaeological record including site-formation processes, artifact displacement, and wear damage. The North American grooved-axe - an artifact type of which little technological attention has been given in the literature - is examined as a case study for a taphonomic experiment conducted in Central Connecticut. The use of an actualistic taphonomic experiment is used to generate an analogous experimental signature for archaeological grooved-axe manufacturing areas in North America. More specifically, the taphonomic experiment is used here to see if the isolated technological stage of impaction is archaeologically visible before short-term formation processes affect the manufacturing area in question. Impaction is a ground stone tool manufacturing technique that is otherwise known as pecking or hammer-dressing. Hypothesized archaeological traces of impaction include the recovery of flakes with macroscopic impaction wear and a lens of impaction slurry that is both visibly and texturally distinct. In addition to generating an experimental analogue for grooved-axe impaction, the replicative dimension of the taphonomic experiment is used to informally assess the plausibility of certain technological decisions in axe manufacture. Here, the use of quartzite impaction tools and expedient anvils in the production of North American grooved-axes are scrutinized.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%