Ricerc@Sapienza

Ground stone tool (GST) technology includes artefacts utilized in pounding or grinding
activities and characterized by long life cycles and multiple uses. The introduction of
such technology dates back to early prehistory, and for this reason, it is used as prime
evidence for tackling a wide range of archaeological questions such as the origins of
technology, patterns of daily subsistence and lifeways. In this paper, we contribute to
the field of study of GSTs by discussing the application of a novel multi-level analytical
approach combining use wear and residue observations at low and high magnification
with residue spatial distribution investigated using GIS. We aim to assess the potential
of a combined use wear and residue approach to (1) discriminate specific gestures and
worked materials on sandstone GSTs and (2) understand the potential of residue
distributions for reconstructing ancient GST functions and, more specifically, the role
of GSTs recovered at Mesolithic sites of the Danube Gorges region in the Central
Balkans. We identified diagnostic surface modifications associated with the use of
GSTs in different activities involving both animal and plant materials. Morphological
characteristics of residues have been described under reflected and transmitted light and
characterized using biochemical staining. Finally, we mapped residues across the
utilized surfaces of experimental tools to link patterns of residue spatial distribution
to specific materials and gestures. We expect our methodological approach will be
taken up by other researchers in order to produce comparable datasets on GSTs and
improve our understanding of their ancient functional biographies.