Neolithic flint procurement

Pedreira do Aires and Monte das Pedras: two Neolithic flint «mines» in the Lisbon Peninsula

by Henrique Matias

Marco Andrade; Henrique Matias (2011)

Pedreira do Aires and Monte das Pedras: two Neolithic flint «mines» in the Lisbon Peninsula. In Capote, M.; Consuegra, S.; Díaz-del-Río, P.; and Terradas X., eds. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of the UISPP Commission on Flint Mining in Pre- and Protohistoric Times (Madrid, 14-17 October 2009). British Archaeological Reports International Series 2260, p.149-156.

This paper describes the Neolithic sites of Pedreira do Aires and Monte das Pedras, both located in the Lisbon... more This paper describes the Neolithic sites of Pedreira do Aires and Monte das Pedras, both located in the Lisbon Peninsula, Portugal. The archaeological assemblages recovered from these sites - mostly lithic materials such as debitage debris, both ‘tested’ and shaped flint blocks, preparation flakes and core rejuvenation elements - and the geological context (Upper Cenomanian limestone rich in flint nodules), suggest that both should be interpreted as flint extraction localities (although not necessarily mines, the flint being recovered in a secondary position from detritic deposits) and occasional workshops oriented towards bladelet production.
These sites can therefore be understood as small, seasonal campsites located within the sphere of influence of a larger settlement and part of a complex spatial use and resource exploitation network that lasted from the 5th to the 3rd millennia BC (the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of the region). Models of flint procurement must take into account that different types of site existed: settlements, funerary sites and resource procurement sites. The relationship with contextually similar sites highlights the strategies used in the exploitation of fl int at this time in the Lisbon Peninsula.

Un ensemble lithique en calcédoine dendritique à Ath – Ferme de Tenre (prov. Hainaut, Belgique)

by Nick Van Liefferinge

Published in 'Quadriga'.

Chapple, R. M. 2011 'Review: Creative Minds: Proceedings of a Public Seminar on Archaeological Discoveries on National Road Schemes, August 2009' Blogspot post

by Robert M Chapple

Petrographic Analysis of Lithic Artefacts from Limba (Romania) to Confirm Neolithic Trade Patterns

by Otis Crandell

Crandell, O.N. 2012. Petrographic Analysis of Lithic Artefacts from Limba (Romania) to Confirm Neolithic Trade Patterns. Acta Mineralogica-Petrographica, Abstract Series, Szeged. Volume 7.

An important question in prehistoric archaeology is that of intersettlement and intercultural interactions. Trade and... more An important question in prehistoric archaeology is that of intersettlement and intercultural interactions. Trade and procurement can often give us insights into the economic aspects of interaction. For this study, the 440 knapped lithic artefacts from the Early to Middle Neolithic settlement site near Limba (Alba County, western Romania) were analyzed to help verify their sources and thereby determine the intensity of trade with different regions. Within and adjacent to the Transylvanian Basin, there are three main knappable materials that are considered high quality and that were imported in large quantity during the Neolithic. They are ‘Carpathian obsidian’, ‘Moldavian flint’ and ‘Balkan flint’ (Fig. 1). Within a day’s travel by walking or by boat from Limba there are also materials of varying quality that are suitable for knapping. The Criş and Vinča cultures that occupied the Limba settlement extended to the south in the region of the Danube. Since two of the high quality materials i.e. Moldavian flint and Carpathian obsidian are outside of their cultural territory and the third i.e. the Balkan flint is within, this is an ideal assemblage for looking at intra- and intercultural economic interactions.
The entire set of artefacts was compared macroscopically to raw material samples from potential source outcrops. Thirty of the artefacts were analysed petrographically and compared to thin sections of raw material samples. Obsidian was not analysed by this method, but can be clearly distinguished from microcrystaline quartz and other studies indicate that its source was correctly identified. One artefact considered Balkan flint and two considered local, based on macroscopic assessment, could not be confirmed by petrography. Otherwise, the petrographic analyses supported the macroscopic categories.
Although there are numerous local and near-local sources of lithic material, a large portion of the artefacts appear to have been made from non-local materials. Only 38% of the artefacts came from sources within a day’s travel from the settlement. Regarding imported materials, 24% of the whole assemblage is Moldavian flint, and 26% is Carpathian obsidian. By contrast, only 7% is Balkan flint. This suggests more economic contact with the North, outside of their cultural territories. The observations of this study indicate that economic contact and interaction were not limited to within the culture. In fact, it is likely that there were other more important factors involved in choosing trade partners. The large proportion of imported material suggests that trade routes may have already existed in the Neolithic.

Daggers, knowledge & power

by Jan Apel

El sílex Casa Montero: Estudio y Caracterización. 2010

by Teresa Orozco-Köhler

C. Criado; N. Castañeda; M. Capote; M. A. Bustillo; J.L. Pérez-Jiménez; S. Consuegra; P. Díaz-del-Río; T. Orozco & X. Terradas. 2010
published in S. Domínguez-Bella; J. Ramos; J.M. Gutierrez López & M. Pérez Rodriguez (eds): Minerales y Rocas en las Sociedades de la Prehistoria. Universidad de Cádiz: 187-197.

Is the Macroscopic Classification of Flint useful? A Petroarchaeological Analysis and Characterization of Flint Raw Materials from the Iberian Neolithic Mine of Casa Montero. 2009

by Teresa Orozco-Köhler

M.A. Bustillo; N. Castañeda; M. Capote; S. Consuegra; C. Criado; P. Diaz-del-Río; T. Orozco; J.L. Pérez-Jiménez & X. Terradas.
published in Archaeometry, 51 (2) 2009: 175-196.

Casa Montero is a mining complex located outside Madrid (Spain), dated from the Early Neolithic (c.5400–5000 calBC). An area of some 4 ha has been investigated and some 4000 shafts recorded, of which 324 have been excavated. The characterization of its raw flint materials and the establishment of its diagnostic features are indispensable in the reconstruction of the distribution of the mine’s products beyond the immediate site. This work reports the geological study of the mine’s Miocene flint layers and their petrological characterization. Archaeological samples from the mine’s shafts were classified according to macroscopic features and petrological characteristics.

Estructura, Contexto y Cronología de la mina de sílex de Casa Montero (Madrid). 2008

by Teresa Orozco-Köhler

P. Díaz-del-Río; S. Consuegra; M. Capote; N. Castañeda; C. Criado; J.M. Vicent; T. Orozco & X. Terradas. 2008.

Actas del IV Congreso del Neolítico Peninsular (Alicante, 2006), tomo I: 200-207.

Time for action. The chronology of mining events at Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain)

by Pedro Díaz-del-Río

We present the radiocarbon dates for twelve charcoal samples covering the complete area of the mine field of Casa... more We present the radiocarbon dates for twelve charcoal samples covering the complete area of the mine field of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain), a site with more than 4000 plotted shafts. The χ2 test shows that eleven of them are statistically identical, with a 65% probability that all mining episodes occurred between 5337 and 5218 cal BC, a time span of approximately four generations. We test this probable hypothesis against other archaeological evidence and conclude that the comparatively large scale mining actions at Casa Montero would have necessarily required the mobilization of several small scale Early Neolithic groups into a succession of collective actions, probably performed in a seasonal manner. Neolithic fl int mining in Europe was not a long term technical solution to a practical need, but an extraordinarily meaningful and timely -historically contingent- social activity. In order to understand mining actions in these terms, we would require a reevaluation of the statistical variability and meaning of series of radiocarbon dates already obtained at many other fl int mines. When we do so, we might observe that, as in the case of Casa Montero, many of these radiocarbon dates actually represent sets of short term highly active ‘generational’ mining episodes separated in time.

Lithic raw material procurement and consumption during the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic at Vila Nova de Ourém region (Estremadura, Portugal): the particular case of Casal dos Matos and Cabeça Gorda 1

by Marco António Andrade

Co-authored with Henrique Matias; in press.

This paper presents the curious relationship between a possible procurement source of siliceous rock (Casal dos Matos)... more This paper presents the curious relationship between a possible procurement source of siliceous rock (Casal dos Matos) and a Neolithic-Chalcolithic site (Cabeça Gorda 1) located in its immediate surroundings. Despite the limited context of Cabeça Gorda 1 due to various taphonomic processes that have occurred, the comparison between the raw material used mainly for flaked stone artifacts at this site and the raw material that occurs in Casal dos Matos (chalcedonic flint) suggests at least a spatial relationship between a possible procurement area and a specific consumption context – thus reinforcing the strong link between procurement and consumption in the Prehistory of the ancient peasant communities in Portuguese Estremadura, between the Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic (3200-2500 cal BCE). This paper is not intended to present an exhaustive study of the flaked stone industry of Cabeça Gorda 1, but to set a conceptual framework for a specific model of raw materials exploitation that can be used not only for the area where these sites are included but also for other regions where similar contexts can be identified.

Key words: Raw materials procurement; Flaked stone artifacts consumption; Neolithic-Chalcolithic; Portuguese Estremadura.

Is the Macroscopic Classification of Flint Useful? A Petroachaeological Analysis and Characterization of Flint Raw Materials from the Iberian Neolithic Mine of Casa Montero

by Nuria Castañeda

BUSTILLO, M.A., CASTAÑEDA, N., CAPOTE, M., CONSUEGRA, S., CRIADO, C., DÍAZ-DEL-RÍO, P., OROZCO, T., PÉREZ-JIMÉNEZ, J.L., TERRADAS, X. 2009: Archaeometry, 51(2): 175-196.

Casa Montero is a mining complex located outside Madrid (Spain), dated from the Early Neolithic (c. 5400–5000 cal bc).... more Casa Montero is a mining complex located outside Madrid (Spain), dated from the Early Neolithic (c. 5400–5000 cal bc). An area of some 4 ha has been investigated and some 4000 shafts recorded, of which 324 have been excavated. The characterization of its raw flint materials and the establishment of its diagnostic features are indispensable in the reconstruction of the distribution of the mine's products beyond the immediate site. This work reports the geological study of the mine's Miocene flint layers and their petrological characterization. Archaeological samples from the mine's shafts were classified according to macroscopic features and petrological characteristics.

La minería de sílex en Casa Montero. El espacio de la producción.

by Nuria Castañeda

Co-autored with: CONSUEGRA, S.; CASTAÑEDA, N.; CRIADO, C.; CAPOTE, M.; DÍAZ-DEL-RÍO, P.; BUSTILLO, Mª. Á.; PÉREZ-JIMÉNEZ, J. L.; BÁREZ, S. y PÉREZ-GONZÁLEZ, A. (2007): , published in: Segundas Jornadas de Patrimonio Arqueológico en la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid, 2005, Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico. Consejería de Cultura y Turismo. Comunidad de Madrid: 183-189. ISBN: 978-84-451-3026-1.

Casa Montero. La mina de sílex más antigua de la península Ibérica

by Nuria Castañeda

CAPOTE, M.; CASTAÑEDA, N.; CONSUEGRA, S.; CRIADO, C.; DÍAZ-DEL-RÍO, P.; BUSTILLO, M. A.; PÉREZ-JIMÉNEZ, J. L. 2006: Tierra y Tecnología, 29: 42-50.

Import trotz Überfluss – Bayerische Plattenhornsteine in Sachsen

by Rengert Elburg

Elburg, R. & Van der Kroft, P.: Import trotz Überfluss – Bayerische Plattenhornsteine in Sachsen. Arbeits- und Forschungsberichte zur sächsischen Bodendenkmalpflege 43, 2001, 285-288.

Subneolithic bifaces and flint assemblages in Finland. Outlining the history of research and future questions

by Mikael A. Manninen

Mikael A. Manninen, Miikka Tallavaara & Esa Hertell

In: Samuelsson, C. & Ytterberg, N. (eds.) Uniting Sea, Stone Age Societies in the Baltic Sea Region. OPIA 33. (161–179).

This article provides a short research history of flint studies in Finland. The controversies related to ideas about... more This article provides a short research history of flint studies in Finland. The controversies related to ideas about the manufacture of bifaces and the origin of flint in Finland during the Typical Comb Ware period in particular are addressed. In line with the research history, the ongoing technological analysis, i. e. studying the technological organisation of flint reduction, will be explained. Based on this, the future goals of the project aiming to understand the lithic assemblages in their social contexts are briefly discussed.

HUMAN ACTIVITY ZONES AROUND THE HOUSE OF THE LINEARBANDKERAMIK CULTURE IN SOUTH-EASTERN POLAND (SITE: ZWIĘCZYCA)

by Maciej Dębiec

Co-authored with Aleksander DZBYŃSKI

This article deals with the problem of reconstruction of human activity zones around houses of the... more This article deals with the problem of reconstruction of human activity zones around houses of the Linearbandkeramik
culture, and, in particular, on a recently excavated site in South-East Poland – Zwięczyca no. 3. The yard area of house no. 3 was
taken into consideration. In zone 36, near this house, we came across a wide spectrum of activities, varying from rather noneconomic
to purely house-economy activities. For pit number 232 we were able to suspect activities connected with animal bone
processing, the preparation of furs, etc.

ESTRUCTURA, CONTEXTO Y CRONOLOGÍA DE LA MINA DE SILEX DE CASA MONTERO (MADRID)

by Pedro Díaz-del-Río

Daggers, Knowledge & Knowhow 3

by Jan Apel

O sítio pré-histórico de Monte das Pedras (Mina, Amadora): identificação e caracterização de uma possível oficina de talhe neolítica.

by Marco António Andrade

Published in «Revista Portuguesa de Arqueologia», 14, 2011; in press.

This paper has the intent to inform about the identification and characterization of a new possible neolithic flint... more This paper has the intent to inform about the identification and characterization of a new possible neolithic flint workshop located in Lisbon Peninsula, included in an area rich in human occupations of the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. By the analysis of the recovered data, as well as by the comparison with other similar sites, we advance the hypothesis that we are standing before an area dedicated to a specific activity – the exploitation of raw materials (namely flint) to the production of flaked stone tools – dependent of one (or more) of the various settlements of the ancient peasant communities that are known in the immediate area. By the same way, we seize the opportunity to re-evaluate the evidences of settlement of the surrounding area of the prehistoric site of Monte das Pedras, characterized by a curious heterogeneity of manifestations, mainly in the funerary universe. By that, we hope once more to contribute to a better comprehension of the ancient peasant communities from the 5th to the 3rd millennium BCE in Lisbon Peninsula.

Chapple, R. M. 2009 'Excavations at Ballyloran, Larne, county Antrim' Ulster Journal of Archaeology 68, 1-26.

by Robert M Chapple

Topsoil stripping by Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd at a development site at Ballyloran, Larne, in 2005... more Topsoil stripping by Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd at a development site at Ballyloran, Larne, in 2005 revealed five areas (Sites 1–5) of archaeological potential. Sites 1 and 2 produced evidence of both ritual and domestic activity, including the deliberate deposition of unworked stones during the Early Neolithic period. A second phase of occupation occurred during the Late Bronze Age. A similar preoccupation with the deliberate burial of stones was noted at Site 3, though dated to the end of the Late Neolithic and into the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. Site 5 revealed extensive remains from the Early Neolithic and appeared to be formally divided into areas of domestic activity and ritual deposition. The domestic area was centred on a number of metalled surfaces around a large trough-like feature, while the ritual area was composed of a low hollow with a metalled base and a vertically set stone, surrounded by a low bank. Significant quantities of flint and pottery were deposited in this area.