Chaîne Opératoire

Bodily skill and the aesthetics of miniaturisation

by Sheila Kohring

Published in 2011Pallas Revue d'études antiques 86: 31-50.  Special journal "The Gods of Small Things" (edited by A.C. Smith and M.E. Bergeron).

redistributions du travail funéraire et transformations de la chaîne opératoire du cadavre dans le Bénin méridional

by Joël Noret

forthcoming in Hervé Guy (ed.), Rencontre autour du cadavre, 2012.

Cet article entend montrer combien les transformations de la chaîne opératoire du cadavre dans le Bénin méridional... more Cet article entend montrer combien les transformations de la chaîne opératoire du cadavre dans le Bénin méridional s’avèrent révélatrices d’évolutions plus générales dans l’ordre de la prise en charge de la mort et, finalement, puisque les deux sont toujours peu ou prou liés, dans l’organisation des rapports sociaux. À cet égard, envisager le changement social, en prenant pour point de départ les transformations de la chaîne opératoire du cadavre, peut d’ailleurs s’avérer une entrée épistémologique féconde, car, si le corps est bien ce « premier lieu du social », pour reprendre l’heureuse formule de Gil Bartholeyns , le cadavre peut légitimement être considéré comme un double particulièrement éloquent de celui-ci, relevant, comme lui, à la fois pleinement du biologique et du social, et de leurs nouages complexes.
Plus spécifiquement, dans la sociologie historique du cadavre que je propose dans les pages qui suivent, je partirai de deux ressorts de la transformation de l’apprêt des corps, qui me sont apparus comme majeurs, au cours de mes enquêtes sur les funérailles dans le Bénin méridional. Ainsi, j’évoquerai, dans un premier temps, les effets du changement religieux sur le traitement des cadavres, dont une proportion croissante échappe désormais aux mains des spécialistes « traditionnels » de la gestion des corps. Dans un deuxième temps, je montrerai la place occupée dorénavant par les morgues dans la prise en charge de la mort et les déplacements significatifs que cette innovation technologique a contribué à diffuser dans la chaîne opératoire du cadavre.

Las Cadenas Operativas líticas de la mina de sílex de Casa Montero (Madrid). 2008

by Teresa Orozco-Köhler

N. Castañeda; M. Capote; C. Criado; S. Consuegra; P. Díaz-del-Río; X. Terradas & T. Orozco. 2008. Actas del IV Congreso del Neolítcio Peninsular (Alicante, 2006), tomo II: 231-234.

Tecnologia de Produção e Utilização do Instrumental Lítico do Sítio GO-CP-17: É a Vez dos Produtos Contarem Sua (Pré)História

by João Carlos Moreno de Sousa

Apresentado na II Jornada de Arqueologia do Cerrado – Múltiplas Abordagens e Interdisciplinaridade (2010)

Produção das Indústrias Líticas: Projeto e Realização

by João Carlos Moreno de Sousa

Apresentado na I Jornada de Arqueologia do Cerrado

Cadeias Operatórias do GO-CP-17: Uma (Pré-)História Contada Pelos Resíduos de Produção de Instrumentos Líticos

by João Carlos Moreno de Sousa

Apresentado no I Ciclo Sul-americano de Conferências de Arqueologia Pré-Histórica (2010)

Aspectos das Cadeias Operatórias Através dos Resíduos de Lascamento do Sítio GO-CP-17

by João Carlos Moreno de Sousa

Pôster apresentado no Congresso da Sociedade de Arqueologia Brasileira 2009

Exploitation des matières osseuses par les groupes solutréens du Roc de Sers (Charente, France)

by Malvina Baumann

Baumann M. (2008) – Exploitation des matières osseuses par les groupes solutréens du Roc de Sers (Charente, France), Antiquités nationales, 39, p. 73-93.

Le site du Roc de Sers (Sers, Charente, France) a livré près de 224 artefacts en matières osseuses : 122 objets finis... more Le site du Roc de Sers (Sers, Charente, France) a livré près de 224 artefacts en matières osseuses : 122 objets finis et 100 déchets de production. Ils proviennent majoritairement des fouilles menées par le Dr Henri-Martin (HENRI-MARTIN 1928) dans différents loci du gisement. Á partir du matériel lithique et sur la base d’une datation 14C à 19 230 +/- 300 BP (Gif-3609), les couches archéologiques ont été attribuées à un Solutréen (TYMULA 2002). Toutefois, le contexte stratigraphique ne garantit en rien l’homogénéité des collections osseuses ni leur attribution à ce technocomplexe. Nous avons donc mené une étude technologique de ce matériel dans le but de tenter d’évaluer son homogénéité et de préciser son attribution chronoculturelle. Cette étude nous a aussi et surtout permis d’aborder la question de la gestion des matières osseuses par les groupes humains ayant occupé le site. Ces derniers semblent avoir opéré une sélection poussée des matrices qu’ils ont exploitées selon des modalités de débitage intégrant le double rainurage longitudinal et la percussion tranchante. Les objets finis, qui pourraient en partie être issus de ces schémas, forment un corpus typé, tourné vers les activités domestiques, notamment de débitage des matières lithiques et osseuses.

Le matériel de mouture de l’habitat campaniforme / Bronze ancien de Beg ar Loued (île Molène, Finistère, France) : étude préliminaire

by Klet Donnart

DONNART K. (2011) - Le matériel de mouture de l’habitat campaniforme / Bronze ancien de Beg ar Loued (île Molène, Finistère) : étude préliminaire, in Buchsenschutz O., Jaccottey L., Jodry F. et Blanchard J.-L. (dir.), Evolution typologique et technique des meules du Néolithique à l’an mille, actes de la Table Ronde de Saint-Julien sur Garonne, 2-4 oct. 2009, 23e supplément à Aquitania, p. 435-445.

Many grinding tools where brought to light on the Bell Beaker (Early Bronze Age) settlement of Beg ar Loued... more Many grinding tools where brought to light on the Bell Beaker (Early Bronze Age) settlement of Beg ar Loued (Île-Molène, Finistère, France). The site is still undergoing excavation and the study of the materials is not yet completed. This paper presents the current state of our research about querns. The morphology of both saddle querns and hand rubbers has been well established. Their process of manufacture has also been reconstructed based on flaking scars and wear patterns. After a technological analysis are discussed some aspects that require further research such as the acquisition of the raw material, the morphology of working surfaces or the recycling of the worn tools. We observe at Beg ar Loued the reuse of quern fragments in the drystone building. Due to the well defined characteristics of these grinding tools, this collection provides a precise chronological marker for the typological evolution of querns.

“Estrategias de explotación de los recursos minerales en la Cova de l’Estret de Tragó (Lérida) (2000)

by Nuria Castañeda

CASTAÑEDA, N. (2000): “Estrategias de explotación de los recursos minerales en la Cova de l’Estret de Tragó (Lérida)”, Arqueoweb 2(1) ISSN: 1139-9201

La industria Lítica de Casa Montero (Vicálvaro, Madrid)

by Nuria Castañeda

CASTAÑEDA, N., CRIADO, C. 2006: “La industria Lítica de Casa Montero (Vicálvaro, Madrid)"; resultados preliminares. En N. FERREIRA, H. VERÍSSSIMO, (eds.). Do Epipaleolítico ao Calcolítico na Península Ibérica. Actas do IV Congresso de Arqueología Peninsular. Faro, 14 a 19 setembro de 2004. Universidade do Algarve, Faro (Portugal): 229-234.

A Methodological Approach to Core Analysis

by Nuria Castañeda

CASTAÑEDA, N. 2009: Integrated Methodological Approaches to the Study of Lithic Technology. Human Evolution, 24(2): 107-119.

Lithic cores are like a photograph of only the last reduction gesture or method. But reduction sequences are very... more Lithic cores are like a photograph of only the last reduction gesture or method. But reduction sequences are very often non-linear and complex. Knapping accidents, unexpected qualities of raw material, production requirements, long time between removals or different knappers may force to a change in the reduction strategy. These changes may delete all the signs of previous configuration.
It is consequently not easy to apprehend this information and transform it into data in order to compare and summarize technocal schemes. In this paper a methodological approach to core analysis is proposed illustrating temporal relationships between facets in a diagram.
The core diagram shows temporal relationships between removals. It also offers spatial information, as each knjapping surface is separately presented in order to observe core complexity in a glymse, the number of knapping surfaces and its relationships.
Finally, through the analysis and classification of removals attending to their purpose we can understand the different stages of work, the moment of abandonment of the reduction process, if there were reshaping stages or if the core were recycled as a tool.
Each type of removal has a different symbol and a group of removals with the same purpose forms a stage of the core reduction. Therefore it is possible to analyze and compare the same stage in different cores.
The core diagram is a flexible and powerful tool for the study of core reduction by sorting out the heterogeneous information provided by cores.

Las cadenas operativas líticas de la mina de sílex de Casa Montero (Madrid)

by Nuria Castañeda

CASTAÑEDA, N., CAPOTE, M., CRIADO, C., CONSUEGRA, S., DÍAZ-DEL-RÍO, P., TERRADAS, X., OROZCO, T. 2008: Actas del IV Congreso Neolítico Peninsular (Alicante, 2006), tomo II: 231-234.

Words Can Speak Louder Than Actions

by Robert H. Gargett

Draft Manuscript "Growing Art displaying Relationships" (8)

by Ludovic Coupaye

Draft of the Conclusion

I am not sure about giving the end of the story without the trajectory, considering the fact that I always think the... more I am not sure about giving the end of the story without the trajectory, considering the fact that I always think the demonstration as being essential - more than the theoretical musing that I'm having here. But I am submitting some of the results to see what feloows make of them.
The idea of the chapter is both to summarise and to play with what I haven't done in this manuscript. Which is loads, as always.
And here too, major changes are impossible. And the restrictions on printing, copying etc. the same as with the begining. Still you can contact me for specific questions.
And I'll definitely use comments and critiques to think further.

Draft Manuscript "Growing Art displaying Relationships" (0+1)

by Ludovic Coupaye

The final draft of the Prolegomenon and Chapter 1 of the manuscript from the thesis.

The "prolegomenon" came out of a metaphor used by Robin Kitnyora, my host brother in Nyamikum. It has shaped... more The "prolegomenon" came out of a metaphor used by Robin Kitnyora, my host brother in Nyamikum. It has shaped my thinking all the way through the writing. Alhtough I'm not super keen on navel-gazing pieces of academic writing, I still thought it makes senses when dealing with artefact and technology.
It now too late for major changes, so I'll take potential comments, and critiques for another publication!
(I set the restrictions high - to avoid the legitimate wrath of my publisher - so I'm afraid you can't print it. But you can write to me to ask for details)

African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present: Techniques, Identification, and Distribution

by Alexandre Livingstone Smith

Edited by A. Haour, K. Manning, N. Arazi, O. Gosselain, S. Guèye, D. Keita, A. Livingstone Smith, K. MacDonald, A. Mayor, S. McIntosh and R. Vernet

African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present considers ethnographic, museological and archaeological approaches to... more African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present considers ethnographic, museological and archaeological approaches to pottery-decorating tools called roulettes, that is to say, short lengths of fibre or wood that are rolled over the surface of a vessel for decoration.

This book sets out, for the first time, a solid typology for the classification of African pottery decorated with such tools, and forges a consensus on common methodology and standards. It gives an overview of history of research into roulette decoration in Africa and elsewhere Jomon Japan, Neolithic Europe, Siberia, and New York among others; outlines the contemporary distribution of roulette usage in sub-Saharan African today, a 'success story' from Senegal to Tanzania; and proposes methodologies for the identification of selected roulette decoration types in the archaeological record.

By achieving standardisation in pottery analysis, this book will help researchers make meaningful comparisons between different sites of West Africa, and thus guide further research on the West African past. As roulette decoration has been such a global phenomenon in the past, the book will also be of interest to all researchers with an interest in ceramics from different parts of the world. 180p, b/w and col illus, English and French text (Oxbow Books 2010).

Naviform Core Technology at Ayn Abu Nukhayla: Organization in Neolithic Jordan

by Matthew Senn

Distribution patterns of imported lithic tools in Early Neolithic Skorba

by Clive Vella

In Ta Hagrat and Skorba: Ancient Monuments in a Modern World, (ed) MariaElena Zammit & Joanne Mallia Malta: Heritage Malta

African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present: Techniques, Identification, and Distribution

by Alexandre Livingstone Smith

Edited by A. Haour, K. Manning, N. Arazi, O. Gosselain, S. Guèye, D. Keita, A. Livingstone Smith, K. MacDonald, A. Mayor, S. McIntosh and R. Vernet

African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present considers ethnographic, museological and archaeological approaches to... more African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present considers ethnographic, museological and archaeological approaches to pottery-decorating tools called roulettes, that is to say, short lengths of fibre or wood that are rolled over the surface of a vessel for decoration.

This book sets out, for the first time, a solid typology for the classification of African pottery decorated with such tools, and forges a consensus on common methodology and standards. It gives an overview of history of research into roulette decoration in Africa and elsewhere Jomon Japan, Neolithic Europe, Siberia, and New York among others; outlines the contemporary distribution of roulette usage in sub-Saharan African today, a 'success story' from Senegal to Tanzania; and proposes methodologies for the identification of selected roulette decoration types in the archaeological record.

By achieving standardisation in pottery analysis, this book will help researchers make meaningful comparisons between different sites of West Africa, and thus guide further research on the West African past. As roulette decoration has been such a global phenomenon in the past, the book will also be of interest to all researchers with an interest in ceramics from different parts of the world. 180p, b/w and col illus, English and French text (Oxbow Books 2010).