Ricerc@Sapienza

Recent technological studies of Levantine and European lithic assemblages from the Late
Lower Palaeolithic show that the small unretouched and retouched flakes (small tools)
found in many sites of this period are relevant technological elements. Their presence
in the lithic assemblages of the Late Lower Palaeolithic allows us to reconsider the role
of bifacial tools as techno-cultural markers of this chronological phase. In this article we
discuss the relevance of experimental archaeology for the interpretation of the use-wear

The aim of this paper is to discuss the role played by small chipped stone tools as part
of the toolkit of Homo during the Lower Palaeolithic. These apparently negligible small
tools may have had an important role on the complex interaction between Homo and
Palaeoloxodon antiquus, which may have been masked by the general idea of a “biface-
primacy” during the Lower Palaeolithic. Data coming from use-wear analysis are
the primary source of this discussion, integrated with the suggestions offered by recent

For decades, a closed eco-niche like Iron Gates in Eastern Serbia enabled specialists to explore the transition to a sedentary life, with an exceptional record of human occupation during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene. Following the series of published analysis from the architecture to the prehistoric diet of the Iron Gates inhabitants, our research aims to present the newest results regarding the use-wear analysis of chipped stone artefacts from Lepenski Vir and Padina site with a broader focus on the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic in this region.

Bison, red deer, horse, ibex, chamois and other large and small ungulates are the classic prey animals exploited by Neanderthals. The study of several sites has shown that Neanderthal hunting was not always restricted to this category of animals. Very large ungulates were also sometimes exploited. Cutmarks have been found on megaloceros bones in assemblages XII and XVIIc at Bolomor in Spain (Blasco, Fernández Peris, 2012) and a piece from Moula demonstrates the use of the bones of this animal for utilitarian purposes (Valensi et al., 2012).

Recent technological studies of lithic assemblages from Levantine and European Late Lower Palaeolithic showed that the small size flakes (small tools) found in many sites of this period are relevant technological elements. Their role in the lithic assemblages of the Late Lower Paleolithic allows to reconsider the common idea that the bifaces are the unique techno-cultural markers of the Acheulean chronological and cultural phase.

The Aterian lithic techno-complex that characterizes the late Middle Stone Age in North Africa is well known especially for its tanged or stemmed points. Recent techno-morphological and use-wear analyses have added new data to support the identification of the tang as the hafted portion of an artifact. They have also highlighted the presence of this attribute on tools other than projectile points, in contrast with the widespread idea that the tanged point is the Aterian fossile directeur.

This paper is aimed at exploring the testimonies of specialized productions in ”egalitarian” and ”´elite-based” societies through the application of the use-wear analysis.
First-hand data from the chipped stone tools of sampled buildings pertaining to the Neolithic
levels of the mega-site of Catalh´’oy´’uk and from the chipped stone tools and macro-lithic
tools of the proto-urban site of Arlantepe (levels VIII, VII, VIA and VIB) will be compared
and integrated with the published data coming from other related analyses.

Through the use-wear approach, the study of macro-lithic tools, can lead to significant results in the interpretation of the social and the economic organization of archaeological contexts.