LEŽIŠTA ROŽNJAKA U ISTRI, HRVATSKA IZVORI KAMENE SIROVINE PRAPOVIJESNIH ZAJEDNICA NA POLUOTOKU.

The Istrian Peninsula is rich in mineral resources, primarily carbonate and siliceous sedimentary rocks, which are inextricably linked by a process called silicification. Due to their hardness and conchoidal fracture, siliceous sedimentary rocks (cherts) are very suitable for knapping tools, therefore the knowledge about the location of chert deposits was very important for prehistoric communities in Istria. In this paper, we will present basic data on primary and secondary chert deposits in the Croatian part of the Istrian Peninsula, visual and mechanical characteristics of the collected samples, as well as micropetrographic characteristics determined using a binocular polarizing microscope. We will present data on the geological age of the host rock in which cherts were recorded. We will mention the terminological issues in the archaeological literature and raise the issue of research into the provenance of Istrian chert, that is, the possibility of identifying the raw material from different deposits on the Peninsula. We will also mention the archaeological sites where the presence of Istrian raw materials was recorded. Artifacts and cores used to knap flakes and blades were also found and recorded on some of the surveyed chert deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]