1. A traceological study of lithic points in the Epipaleolithic of the North Caucasus.
- Author
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GOLOVANOVA, Liubov, REVINA, Elena, DORONICHEVA, Ekaterina, POPLEVKO, Galina, and DORONICHEV, Vladimir
- Subjects
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CLASSIFICATION of antiquities , *PROJECTILE points , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *MEAT , *HUNTING - Abstract
The aim of this research is to study the relationship between formal typological types of lithic points and their functions. We applied a detailed typology of the analyzed points. The Epipaleolithic industries of the Caucasus, characterized by similar technical and typological characteristics, contain also a specific set of lithic points, which includes mainly symmetrically retouched points, Gravette and microgravette points, and Vachons points, as well as rarer shouldered points and some other diverse forms. The results of the functional (traceological) analysis of lithic points from several Epipaleolithic sites (ca. 17–10 ka calBP) in the North Caucasus, which we report in this paper, indicate that most of the tools show traces of hafting in a haft, mainly made of wood and rarely of bone/antler. All the analyzed symmetrically retouched and shouldered points are identified as projectile tips, probably used for hunting. Most backed points, including Gravette, microgravette and Vachons points, were also used as projectile tips. Some backed points are identified as awls, meat knives and tools for butchering meat/ skin. Also, evidence of reuse as meat knives or awls is found on several lithic points that were originally used as projectile tips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021