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The 2001– 2004 archaeological excavations at Chitila-Fermă (Bucharest, Romania) uncovered features and archaeological materials attributed to 4th century BC– 1st century AD and the 2nd– 5th centuries AD. To the 2nd– 5th centuries AD were assigned a few osseous items interpreted by V. Boroneanț as bearing the remains of an ancient form of writing. This assemblage, curated nowadays at “ Vasile Pârvan” Institute of Archaeology in Bucharest makes the scope of the present paper. Our attempt focused on the morphology of the items and the operational sequence(s) they were subjected to prior to their discard. This inevitably led us to different conclusions regarding their function. Our own results, correlated to various publication and ethnographic parallels indicate they were used as anvils for sawtoothing iron sickles. Nevertheless, their presence at the site testifies to local metallurgical activities connected to the production and repairmen of iron sickles., Cercetările arheologice desfășurate în perioada 2001– 2004 în situl arheologic de la Chitila-Fermă (București, România) au adus la lumină complexe și materiale arheologice atribuite perioadelor IV î. Chr. – I d. Chr. și II– V d. Chr. Din acest ultim interval cronologic provin câteva piese de os considerate de V. Boroneanț ca purtătoare ale unei scrieri antice. Acest mic ansamblu de piese, aflat în momentul de față în colecțiile Institutului de Arheologie “ Vasile Pârvan” constituie subiectul prezentului articol. Demersul nostru s-a concentrat asupra morfologiei pieselor și a lanțului operațional al cărui rezultat sunt. Rezultatele obținute de noi precum și corelarea lor cu alte publicații și analogii etnografice indică însă utilizarea lor ca nicovale pentru lamele de seceră din fier. Prezența lor în situl de la Chitila-Fermă este extrem de semnificativă, indicând existența unor activități metalurgice de producție și reparație a acestui tip de unelte agricole., Mărgărit Monica, Bălășescu Adrian, Boroneanţ Adina. Reinterpreting an intriguing osseous assamblage from Chitila-Fermă (Bucharest, Romania). In: Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã), H-S 2021. pp. 581-589.

[EN] We present the systematic study of a blank decorated with a simple linear shape from the Buendía rockshelter, in a Magdalenian context dated at ±18000 cal BP. The blank and its decoration are studied microscopically, in order to understand the operative sequence, which includes the procurement of the blank in the surroundings, preparation of its surface prior to the graphic execution, drawing of a simple linear motif, and the subsequent modification of the surface after the drawing was made. This sequence suggests the loss of its original symbolic value. Considering the archaeological evidence associated with the decorated piece, we conclude that the symbolic action was conducted in a multifunctional context. Similar motives are reported in other Southwest European Magdalenian contexts. A better understanding of portable art operational sequences and their context will enable moving forward in our knowledge of the use and function of graphic symbolism., [ES] Se presenta el estudio integral de un soporte decorado con una forma lineal simple recuperado en el abrigo de Buendía, en un contexto magdaleniense datado en ±18000 cal BP. Se estudia el soporte y la forma decorada recurriendo al análisis microscópico a fin de comprender la cadena operativa, concretada en la captación del soporte en el ámbito cercano, la preparación de la superficie antes de la ejecución gráfica, la realización de una decoración lineal simple y la modificación posterior de la superficie tras el dibujo, lo que plantea la pérdida del valor simbólico original. Considerando las evidencias arqueológicas asociadas a la pieza decorada, se concluye que la acción simbólica se llevó a cabo en un contexto multifuncional. La búsqueda de referentes similares en el arte mueble del sudoeste europeo pone de manifiesto la existencia de motivos similares magdalenienses. La comprensión de las cadenas operativas y la contextualización del arte mueble permitirán avanzar en el conocimiento de la función y uso del simbolismo gráfico., Las excavaciones en el abrigo de Buendía fueron autorizadas y financiadas por la Dirección General de Patrimonio y Museos (Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha) entre 2005 y 2010. Agradecemos la subvención concedida por la Society of Antiquaries of London durante las campañas de 2009 y 2010

Anderson, T.J., Alonso, N. (eds), Tilting at Mills: The Archaeology and Geology of Mills and Milling. Revista d’Arqueologia de Ponent. Número Extra 4, 2019. ISBN: 9788491440291 The millstone research carried out at the oppidum of Bibracte has recently been bolstered by finds deriving from preventive archaeology carried out at the Roman city of Autun. A new phase of this research has focused on the quern and millstone quarries supplying the two centres. Among the quarries is the vast vaugnerite outcrop of Bois de Joux at Saint-Andeux (Côte-d’Or). Field surveys identified two sectors producing mostly rotary querns dating to the Late Iron Age and Antiquity. Examining the roughouts renders it possible to reconstruct the operational sequence of their manufacture while the study of the quarries offers data to distinguish the Late Iron Age from the Roman quarries and identify their sequences of production.

This paper presents the analysis of 150 retouching tools. They are diaphisis bone splinters from the long limb bones of ungulates. They were found in level “D” at Axlor (Dima, Vizcaya), which corresponds to the last stages of Mousterian period (about 44000 BP). This level contains an abundance of Quina-type side scrapers. The study combines different approaches (taphonomy, technology, traceology and experimentation) within an structure of operational sequence analysis. The role of “sparsely elaborated” tools in neanderthals disability models, and their informative potential about Middle Palaeolithic societies, are discused., Este artículo presenta el análisis de 150 retocadores en esquirlas diafisiarias de huesos largos de las extremidades de grandes ungulados. Provienen del nivel D de Axlor (Dima, Vizcaya), datado en el final del Musteriense (hacia 44000 BP), y caracterizado por la abundancia de raederas Quina. El trabajo combina varios enfoques (tafonómico, tecnológico, traceológico y experimental) que se integran en una estructura de análisis de la cadena operativa. Se discute el papel de las llamadas industrias “poco elaboradas” en los modelos sobre las incapacidades de los neandertales, y su potencial informativo sobre las sociedades del Paleolítico medio.

This paper presents the analysis of 150 retouching tools. They are diaphisis bone splinters from the long limb bones of ungulates. They were found in level “D” at Axlor (Dima, Vizcaya), which corresponds to the last stages of Mousterian period (about 44000 BP). This level contains an abundance of Quina-type side scrapers. The study combines different approaches (taphonomy, technology, traceology and experimentation) within an structure of operational sequence analysis. The role of “sparsely elaborated” tools in neanderthals disability models, and their informative potential about Middle Palaeolithic societies, are discused.Este artículo presenta el análisis de 150 retocadores en esquirlas diafisiarias de huesos largos de las extremidades de grandes ungulados. Provienen del nivel D de Axlor (Dima, Vizcaya), datado en el final del Musteriense (hacia 44000 BP), y caracterizado por la abundancia de raederas Quina. El trabajo combina varios enfoques (tafonómico, tecnológico, traceológico y experimental) que se integran en una estructura de análisis de la cadena operativa. Se discute el papel de las llamadas industrias “poco elaboradas” en los modelos sobre las incapacidades de los neandertales, y su potencial informativo sobre las sociedades del Paleolítico medio.

Chaîne opératoire, translated as operational sequence, has been described as "the different stages of tool production from the acquisition of raw material to the final abandonment of the desired and/or used objects. By reconstructing the operational sequence we reveal the choices made by ... humans." (Bar-Yosef et al. 1992, 511). Excepting that the individuals in a group have a number of raw materials and techniques available to them; "identification of the most frequently recurring of these choices enables the archaeologist to characterize the technical traditions of the social group" (ibid). Considering the lack of correlation of the environment with stone tools and/or social structure, the role of 'human choice' has become more important in understanding stone age sites. One way of studying 'human choice' is through the chaîne opératoire approach. The operational sequence is from raw material procurement to primary reduction techniques (the reduction of nodules to cores), secondary reduction (the removal of blanks from cores and the manufacture of tools with retouch), the use of tools and the discard of the artifacts. The essential difference between this approach and a typological approach is that it encompasses the whole process of the life history of the lithic material, from basic nodules to the remains that archaeologists excavate. As Stringer and Gamble comment, "The typology of stone tools has been largely superseded by models of behaviour that concentrate more on the 'biography' of the implement - how it was made, used, resharpened, recycled, changed shape and finally thrown away." (Stringer & Gamble 1993, 143). An extension to this operational chain is the post-depositional disturbance of the site and even excavation strategy, as these will have an effect on our understanding of the human choices that were made throughout the operational sequence. Cultures, in terms of groups that were ethnically or traditionally similar, are expressed by these choices. Archaeological sites are the product of dynamic interaction between individuals within the social group, rather than static structures to be simply classified by typological lists or by measurement of debitage. This dynamic interaction can be studied with the chaîne opératoire approach that allows for a greater understanding of the complex human behaviour that lies behind the archaeological data.