Chert Source Provenance Studies

6 Introduction 6 Aims and objectives 6 Project history 6 The location 7 The site investigation 9 Fieldwalking 1997 9 Geophysical survey 1997 10 Test-pitting 1997 10 Trench excavation 2000 10 Final test-pitting 11 Test pit A (TP A) 11 The late Mesolithic finds and features in Trench 4 extension 12 Raw materials 13 Debitage 13 Cores 14 Tools 16 Technological summary 17 Features, find distribution and activities 18 Dating 20 Integrity of the assemblage and the features 20 The area’s raw materials and typo-technological attributes 21 Radiocarbon dates 21 Radiocarbon date AA-51538 and the scalene triangles of TP A 21 Summary and discussion – site and assemblage formation 23 Acknowledgements 25 Appendix: The full Garvald Burn assemblage 26 The raw material composition of the full assemblage – raw material types, sources and 26 condition The typo-technological composion of the full assemblage 27 General overview 27 Debitage 28 Cores 30 Tools 32 Technological summary 36 Dating 38 General di...

Sourcing artifacts is a key method for addressing anthropological issues of mobility and interaction. Although chert was one the most common toolstones used in prehistory, sourcing chert artifacts remains problematic. In this study an approach for sourcing chert is introduced that links a specific sampling protocol, Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and multivariate statistical analysis. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through a controlled experiment examining intersource and intrasource variability at four different scales of analysis. The statistical analysis at four spatial scales allows determination of the spatial resolution of the chemical matching procedure outlined here. In this experiment geologic chert samples from the Edwards Plateau of Texas of known provenience are chemically evaluated allowing comparison of their expected origin against their known origin. This experiment used Edwards Plateau chert as it is a high quality material and was a major lithic source across the Southern High Plains and was often transported great distances. Macroscopic identification of Edwards Plateau chert can be problematic and at its best is unable to effectively discern from where within the 120,000 km2 of the region cherts originated. An understanding of the geological formation processes of chert provides a useful framework for addressing this issue. This study shows that through an effective methodology Edwards Plateau chert can be sourced to a finer spatial scale than previous studies.

The non-destructive application of reflectance spectroscopy within chert provenance studies is evaluated and the implications of archaeological source determination of chert artifacts are discussed. The combined use of Visible Near-infrared (VNIR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) reflectance spectroscopy demonstrate the accurate, fast and relatively low cost potential for the characterization of geologic deposits of chert and the identification of source for chert archaeological materials. Reflectance spectroscopy gathers data on the trace and minor mineral components within a sample as identified by subtle absorption peaks and slope changes. The variable range of spectral features per sample, per deposit, per geologic formation is potentially diagnostic for a geographically isolated deposit of chert. A chert sample database consisting of 2,430 samples from the Midwestern and Southeastern United States is utilized to illustrate the potential application of reflectance spectrosc...

The basic characteristics of worked lithic material from the “flint” group found at the El Espertin archaeological site are described, using both macro- and microscopic approaches and specifying in
each case the criteria used. For macroscopic classification, four large lithological categories were identified: black flint/chert, radiolarites, grey flint and “various flints”. From these, a series of samples were selected, from which thin-sections were taken and studied using microscopic petrography. This enabled the identification of three clear lithological groups: radiolarite, black laminate chert, and nonlaminate black chert. In addition, it was possible to confirm that the only sample from the “various
flints” group analysed was totally different from these.
The same macro- and microscopic analytical procedures were applied to samples collected from controlled geological sources, with the aim of investigating whether these lithostratigraphic units were the supply source for materials used at the site. Results show that the three groups most clearly defined at microscopic level (radiolarite, black laminated chert and non-laminated black chert) could have come from the surrounding area. Regarding the “various flints”, both their macro- and microscopic characteristics are totally different from these, suggesting a possible origin elsewhere.

RESUMEN: Se presentan las características básicas del material lítico tallado del grupo de los “sílex”
aparecido en el yacimiento de El Espertín, tanto desde un punto de vista macroscópico como microscópico, especificando en cada caso qué criterios se utilizaron para su estudio. En la clasificación macroscópica se identificaron cuatro grandes categorías líticas: sílex/chert negro, radiolaritas, sílex
gris y sílex varios. A partir de ellas se seleccionaron varias series de muestras sobre las que se realizaron láminas delgadas que fueron estudiadas mediante microscopía petrográfica y que han permitido determinar tres grupos petrográficos: radiolarita, chert laminado negro y chert no laminado negro. Se ha confirmado además que la única muestra analizada del grupo de los “sílex varios” es totalmente diferente a las anteriores y podría tener un origen foráneo.
Este mismo proceso analítico macro y microscópico se ha aplicado en algunas muestras recogidas de fuentes geológicas conocidas con el fin de comprobar si dichas unidades
litoestratigráficas pueden ser las fuentes de aprovisionamiento de los materiales utilizados en el yacimiento. A este respecto, podemos decir que los tres grupos definidos de forma más clara a nivel microscópico (radiolarita, chert laminado negro y chert no laminado negro) podrían proceder de este entorno local.

The archaeologically sudden appearance of Clovis artifacts (13,500–12,500 calibrated years ago) across Pleistocene North America documents one of the broadest and most rapid expansions of any culture known from prehistory. One long-asserted hallmark of the Clovis culture and its rapid expansion is the long-distance acquisition of “exotic” stone used for tool manufacture, given that this behavior would be consistent with geographically widespread social contact and territorial permeability among mobile hunter–gatherer populations. Here we present geochemical evidence acquired from neutron activation analysis (NAA) of stone flaking debris from the Paleo Crossing site, a 12,900-year-old Clovis camp in northeastern Ohio. These data indicate that the majority stone raw material at Paleo Crossing originates from the Wyandotte chert source area in Harrison County, Indiana, a straight-line distance of 450–510 km. Our analyses thus geochemically confirm an extreme stone-source-to-camp-site distance of a Clovis site in eastern North America and thus provide strong inferential material evidence that the fast expansion of the Clovis culture across the continent occurred as a result of a geographically widespread hunter–gatherer social network.

In this article, chipped stone raw materials from the Garrett Allen site are discussed, with emphasis on the stone tools. As indicated by Eckles (2013), who discussed the history of investigations and chronology, this is one of several articles to be presented on various aspects of the site’s artifacts. One of the remarkable aspects of the site is the variety of chipped stone raw materials. There are varieties of flint, chert, agate, jasper, chalcedony, petrified wood, orthoquartzite, metaquartzite, quartz, silicified shale, clinker, non-volcanic glass, obsidian, and basalt from many parts of Wyoming and surrounding states. The diversity of raw material types is present throughout the cultural deposits. There is no knappable tool stone on site; the only rocks are small fragments of drab, buff-gray sandstone. All culturally manipulated lithic materials were therefore brought into the site, many from considerable distances. The site is located on private land in southeastern Carbon County, Wyoming at the northern end of the Medicine Bow Mountains and southern edge of the Hanna-Carbon Basin. It is within a homoclinal valley near the perennial Quealy Spring. Deposits are primarily alluvial, derived from the surrounding geological formations (Hayter 1981:31).

Visual source analysis of particular variants of chert is problematic.  Chert source data derived from macroscopic identification is sometimes inaccurate leading to flawed behavioral models.  Provenance researchers should first assume a local source prior to labeling a material as ‘exotic’.  The study characterizes visually similar variants of Ste. Genevieve and Upper St. Louis chert from central Kentucky and Tennessee.  Results indicate that excellent deposits of both varieties exist throughout the study area far south from the well-known Wyandotte sources of Harrison County, Indiana.  Additionally, the application of reflectance spectroscopy is shown to be a promising technique in chert source characterization.

Red River Jasper, a lithic material found in the Red River drainage, is an understudied chert that was widely used by prehistoric populations in this region from the Archaic to late prehistoric (Caddo) periods. Despite its common occurrence at sites along the Red River, this tabular chert has received little attention compared to other raw materials on the eastern margin of the Southern Plains. Although the material is macroscopically diverse, ranging in color from brown to yellow to red, microscopic analysis indicates that the material is relatively homogeneous and likely came from a limited set of sources. The archaeological distribution of Red River Jasper, geological evidence, and a stream survey of gravels demonstrate that the primary bedrock source was located in the Johns Valley Formation of the Ouachita Mountains and was carried downstream by the Kiamichi River into the Red River.

Archaeological testing of Mossy Bluff (1Ct610), a multi-component site above the Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee River, in northwest Alabama, has provided a diachronic sample of how knappable stone was procured and used in an area where it is most abundant. Cores, preforms, and debris from quarrying, manufacture, and discard of tools at an outcrop of the Fort Payne chert and the Tuscumbia Limestone reveal direct quarrying from outcrops in at least two intervals of time in the Archaic period and recycling of earlier debitage in the Late Mississippian/Protohistoric period. This poster is dedicated to the memory of Dr. John W. Cottier, who always insisted that I " do some geology! " when doing archaeology. Background photo is of the Tennessee River taken from the Mossy Bluff site.

The Tyrolean Iceman, a 5,300-year-old glacier mummy recovered at the Tisenjoch (South Tyrol, Italy) together with his clothes and personal equipment, represents a unique opportunity for prehistoric research. The present work examines the Iceman’s tools which are made from chert or are related to chert working ‑ dagger, two arrowheads, endscraper, borer, small flake and antler retoucher ‑ and considers also the arrowhead still embedded in the shoulder of the mummy. The interdisciplinary results achieved by study of the lithic raw material, technology, use-wear analysis, CT analysis and typology all add new information to Ötzi‘s individual history and his last days, and allow insights into the way of life of Alpine Copper Age communities. The chert raw material of the small assemblage originates from at least three different areas of provenance in the Southalpine region. One, or possibly two, sources derive from outcrops in the Trentino, specifically the Non Valley. Such variability s...

The initial use of and trade in mineral raw materials, both north and the south of the Alpine divide, clearly shows a communication system based on a network of trading routes established during the Mesolithic period. Archaeometric investigations make it possible to characterise and trace
the origin of the various raw materials such as fl int, quartz, copper ore, etc. Moreover, typological analyses of  characteristics and cultural references, for example ceramics and jewellery, open up new ways of understanding production and trading mechanisms. Young Neolithic sites along the Lower
Inn Valley, such as the Kiechlberg site near Thaur and the Mariahilfbergl site near Brixlegg, have revealed an excellent fi nd inventory. These finds include goods with specifi c signifi cances, which are made particularly interesting by their distribution. Over the course of history, technological achievements have always prompted the development of new economic and social systems. Of these developments, few have had such signifi cant and far-reaching consequences as the mining and processing of copper during the Late Neolithic. During the following Early Bronze Age copper ore mining played an increasingly important role in human settlement and economic development in the Lower Inn Valley.

The aim of this paper is to present preliminary data on the composition of the Mid-Upper Eocene chert visible in massive outcrops in the Jebel Zawa valleys, in the Dohuk province of the Northern Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Large chert nodules were systematically extracted from open-air outcrops and natural karst galleries, and employed to produce large blades, known in literature as "Canaanean blades", from the end of 4th to the mid-3rd millennium BC. Knapping workshops have been identified, evidence of a complex technological organization which served to produce prepared cores and blades to be distributed in the region. Our work highlighted the statistical variability of chert composition at intra-and extra valley scales. The variables discussed in this study were determined by following an integrated multi-parametric protocol for chert characterization (NM-PCI) which includes macroscopic observation, microscopic description and chemical analyses performed with Raman micro-...

This paper documents a Mississippian chipped stone mace, found by Lyle Edger, an amateur collector, in an agricultural field in Nichols, NY along the Susquehanna River. This crown-form mace is made out of Dover chert and was probably produced by Mississippian people who lived in Middle Tennessee, circa AD 1200-1400. We argue that the Nichols Mace could have been acquired by Iroquoian people as the result of either a gift or diplomatic negotiations. We conclude that the meanings the mace held for Iroquoian people were likely tied to how they acquired it.

Archaeological investigations at 36Sn265, in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, indicated that it functioned as a lithic quarry reduction site during all periods of its occupation (Early Archaic to Middle Woodland, and perhaps Late Woodland periods), and as an organic (plant/animal) resource procurement site during at least some of its Early Woodland and Middle Woodland occupations. Evaluation of the site within a descriptive framework that considered five criteria — lithic source type; acquisition method; production system; quarry product; and procurement method — provides insights into the site's role within the local settlement system, and its place within a wider context of lithic procurement sites. Evidence suggests that this chert source was maintained as neutral territory available to all groups through all periods of site occupation. The study provides new information about local chert use and raises several questions for future research.

Data recovery excavations at three sites near Amarillo, Texas, have yielded lithic assemblages dominated by Alibates and Tecovas materials. The visual distinction between these two southern Plains chert types partially overlaps in color, banding patterns, texture, and translucency. To help resolve this visual identification problem, samples from five spatially distinct Tecovas outcrops, two spatially distinct Alibates outcrops, and one gravel source were submitted for instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) Archaeometry Laboratory. The INAA results geochemically separate Tecovas and Alibates and further differentiate geochemical signatures of multiple Tecovas source areas. These chemical results can now be used to correctly identify and sort chipped stone tools and debitage from archaeological context beyond the two source areas.

This paper compares studies of prehistoric chert quarrying and lithic utilization patterns in Snyder County in central Pennsylvania and Indiana County in western Pennsylvania. As is the case with most of North America, prehistoric societies used a variety of lithic raw material types for the manufacture of artifacts. Snyder County is within the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province. The bedrock geology of this area includes a set of Devonian, Silurian and Ordovician-age formations, forming relatively narrow bands that follow the northeast-southwest trend of the Ridge and Valley. Within these bands, a total of 25 sources of Shriver chert were identified in the Snyder County study, and included twenty chert bedrock outcrops and five float/secondary sources. Chert bedrock outcrops were identified at road and stream cuts, on ridge faces and ridge tops, and in streambeds, although only three outcrops showed unequivocal evidence of prehistoric use (i.e., hammerstones, debitage, and/or extraction features) and were classified as quarries or extraction sites. In Indiana County, more types of chert are found and while chert outcrops are less common, some cherts occur in massive bedded deposits either or dense deposit of river cobbles.

This paper reviews previous work conducted on Laser Ablation e Inductively Coupled Plasma e Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) sourcing 33 Clovis period projectile points from the Gault Site (41BL323) in Central Texas. This paper includes new geochemical data from four new primary geologic sources to increase an Edwards Plateau region chert database to 302 primary geologic samples from 204 samples with which to test against the geochemistry of the 33 Clovis artifacts. These artifacts are then assessed with regards to their form, breakage patterns, and distance to source to suggest a blended model of mobility for Clovis period hunter-gatherers in Central Texas. This data suggests that the pattern of movement across the landscape of the Edwards Plateau for these hunter-gatherers may have been a blended pattern alternating between collector and forager based on changing distribution of resources seasonally. This patterning may have been influenced for the Gault Clovis hunter-gatherers reliant on availability of chert resources as well as ecotonal density and diversity of plants and animals; especially, as gauged by Clovis site types and distribution spread throughout much of the Southern Great Plains.

The long standing view of the 13,000 year old Clovis culture is one of highly mobile Paleoindian hunters who moved from kill to kill, specializing in hunting mammoth and other large mammals. Mounting evidence suggests a wide array of behavior was practiced amongst the Clovis period hunter-gatherers who were dispersed across the New World in a diverse host of environments. This project focuses on determining the source of the flint or chert used to make Clovis projectile points at one of the largest and complex Clovis sites in North America, the Gault Site, in order to better understand the mobility practices of Clovis hunter-gatherers. Clovis mobility was thought to cover long distances but the provenance of these projectile points suggests limited distance mobility of less than 30 kilometers punctuated by occasional long distance forays.
The visual aspects of chert are similar across a wide region of Texas. A geochemical technique called Laser Ablation - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass
Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is used to determine accurate provenance. This technique is employed to determine the geochemistry of chert used in the manufacture of the Gault Site projectile points and compares them with geologic samples from several locations across the Edwards Plateau. This research analyzes artifacts from an important Clovis site to understand mobility practices by evaluating subjective postulates concerning mobility with objective data.
This project develops a highly effective and reliable methodology for determining both intra- and inter-source variation.
This dissertation suggests that the Clovis cultural complex was widespread across the New World but the behavior elicited by Clovis period hunter-gatherers was varied and not uniform. The Gault Site artifacts demonstrate that cultural diffusion may have allowed technological aspects of Clovis culture to spread rapidly across the New World, rather than long distance movement in search of game.

New geological data on the Transdanubian radiolarites and a revision of the so called Szent-gál-complex has brought a new archaeological picture of the Bakony mountains. Earlier radiolarite subgroups such as Szentgál-type, Hárskút-type or Úrkút-Eplény-type have no further relevance, because colour variation cannot be used as an indication of the exact location of the different chert outcrops. All possible colour variations, from brick-red to dark brown and varying yellowish, can be found in all parts of the Bakony mountains. Independent CRF-examinations resulted in similar observations. Such radiolarites can be found throughout the Bakony mountain range with uniform variation across the massif. Technological examination of different chopped tools from the surrounding archaeological settlements of Szentgál has provided fresh data: the settlements round Szentgál were not directly connected to the mines and to tool production. The presence of flakes, reduced cores, tablets and large volumes of waste indicate that these were not workshops preparing the mined raw material, but rather sites of regular tool production.

The non-destructive application of reflectance spectroscopy within chert provenance studies is evaluated and the implications of archaeological source determination of chert artifacts are
discussed. The combined use of Visible Near-infrared (VNIR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) reflectance spectroscopy demonstrate the accurate, fast and relatively low cost for the
characterization of geological deposits of chert and the potential identification of source for chert archaeological materials. Reflectance spectroscopy gathers data on the trace and minor mineral components within a sample as identified by subtle absorption peaks and slope changes. The variable range of spectral features per sample, per deposit, per geological formation is potentially diagnostic for a geographically isolated deposit of chert. A chert sample database consisting of
2430 samples from the Midwestern and Southeastern United States is utilized to illustrate the accuracy of reflectance spectroscopy at characterizing chert deposits for archaeological use.

The Early Mesolithic site “Mohalsen-I”, is one of few known preboreal sites on the coast of Nordland, northern Norway. Through excavations in 1974, 2012 and 2013 it yielded a total material of 7025 finds. Flint is the dominant raw material, but there were also finds of quartz, quartzite, chert and other unknown types of rock. Several diagnostic finds – such as single edged points, scrapers, burins, blade knives, retouched blades and steep angled one-sided blade cores – were discovered. The site is radiocarbon dated to about 10 700 – 10 500 cal. BP.
This thesis attempts to look at the broader setting of the site. Raw material diversity will be linked to processes regarding landscape learning in a pioneer context. Chert and quartz samples from the material, known chert quarries and quartz crystal occurences in southern, central and northern Norway, will be analysed with optical microscopy, LA-ICP-MS, XRF and SEM-CL. The results will interpreted in regards to establishing provenance areas, and the structural composition of the raw materials. The core material of Mohalsen-I will be compared with cores from the preboreal site “Lokalitet 48”, from the “Ormen Lange” project in Central Norway. An analysis of the blade material from Mohalsen-I will be used to search for differential use of varieties of flint and other raw materials.
After analysing the different raw materials and artefacts of Mohalsen-I and “Lokalitet 48” it was clear that most of the raw materials were of local origin. Meaning they were found in close proximity to the site. The seashore has been identified as a main area for collection of raw materials. However, the chert and quartz crystals were found not to be from Vega, and are thus of non-local origin. The analysis of the artefacts showed that there was a variance in the degree of reduction between the different types of lithic raw material, which was taken to account for preferences in choosing raw materials. Core sizes differed between the two sites, which has been linked to different availability of lithic raw materials in the region.
Comparing the results with the concepts of landscape learning developed by Rockman (2003a, 2003b, 2009, 2012), it was found that the use of the sea shore could have been a part of an initial learning process about the landscape by the pioneer settlers of Norway. This could have developed into a general understanding of landscapes, used in new environments.
Further provenance studies, and a well established classification system for lithic raw materials, could in the future provide more information of greater precision concerning mobility and contact between regions.

For the study of chert to be of use to archaeologists, researchers must adopt a standardised method of analysing, describing and cataloguing geological chert types and chert artefacts. It is the primary purpose of this article to propose a standardised system of analysis of chert in archaeology. In the proposed system, characteristics are of two categories - macroscopic and microscopic. Macroscopic analysis describe the following categories of characteristics: appearance, colour, pattern and cortex. Within each of these categories is a set of characteristics, each with specific means of measurement and terminology for recording measurements. There are five categories of microscopic characteristics to describe when viewing thin sections – structure, texture, matrix, grains and grain composition. It is hoped that such a system will be adopted and applied to both artefacts as well as geological samples of known provenience. By adopting a standardised methodology and terminology for the macroscopic and microscopic analysis of chert, archaeologists can improve the efficiency, the ease and the dissemination of their research.

The climatically varied Syro-Levantine steppes feature complex dynamics of past human occupation that vary greatly across the region in terms of scale, time periods, and archaeological remains. In particular, the Late Chalcolithic (LC) and Early Bronze Age (EBA) (c. 4400‑2100 BC) saw urbanism in north-eastern Syria, smaller-scale sedentism in central Syria, and the decline of longstanding occupation in north-eastern Jordan. Despite this, the challenges faced by prehistoric populations in these uncertain environments would have been very similar; thus it is reasonable to propose that some of their solutions were also. The region-wide project 'Human Adaptation in Climatically Marginal Environments of late-fifth to third millennium BC Syria and Jordan' takes a holistic approach to investigating these arid and semi-arid regions to determine their appeal to past populations, and the effects of the natural and anthropogenic environment on settlement morphologies and societies. It uses a variety of past and present remote sensing and ground truth data, a vital part of which is the author's 'Western Harra Survey', south of Jawa in the northern badia of Jordan. The first fieldwork season, conducted October-November 2015, identified large quantities of lithic material at numerous sites, a handful of which were likely occupied during the LC/EBA, as well as potential links to raw chert material sources, adding another facet to the appeal of the harrah to past populations, on top of the well-established arguments for the exploitation of pasture land resources. Additionally, a typological seriation of the morphology of sites known as 'wheels' was commenced, which appears to be linked to different site uses and/or periods of occupation. Establishing these connections is crucial to allow mapping occupation dynamics across the greater region and comparisons with areas in Syria and beyond.

Although Neolithic communities in the Middle East have been the focus of much archaeological research, there has been little agreement concerning how these societies developed. In this dissertation, I examine how Neolithic communities were shaped through acts of resource-dependency—the constraints and limitations which emerge from relying on particular resources. By assessing the long-term effects of such dependency during the Neolithic, I demonstrate that using particular resources not only promoted certain behaviors, but restricted the development of others. I argue that the dependencies which arose between people and particular resources produced a cohesive force capable of influencing how communities developed. This research helps to explain how Neolithic groups emerged within networks of local practices, aiding in the production of a heterogeneous Neolithic landscape. This intercedes on current discussions which argue that Neolithic traditions originated at a few key locales before spreading outward to the rest of the Neolithic world. Studying how the Neolithic was represented on a local scale identifies the intimate and diverse relationships communities developed with particular people and places, and how these adhered to the material components of social life, illustrating an important set of processes which influenced the development of Neolithic society.

I examine the nature of resource consumption by tracing the procurement and use of chert, a durable type of rock which was made into a variety of objects important for the enactment of several social activities. I use as a case-study the consumption of chert at the community of Çatalhöyük (7400-6000 BC), Turkey, a site particularly well-known for its magnificent artistic motifs, large size, and unique ritual and architectural practices. Results obtained from large-scale surveys of the landscape surrounding Çatalhöyük reveal the presence of multiple natural deposits of chert. Using a combination of visual and geochemical analyses, I identify which outcrops were used by the people of Çatalhöyük. Using recent advancements in the study of human-thing entanglements, I examine the different objects produced from each deposit of chert to identify the different facets of society which were reliant on the use of particular chert resources. By recognizing how specific chert deposits were important economic, social, and ideological resources, I demonstrate that a range of Neolithic behaviors were impacted by relationships with different social and environmental landscapes.

This research makes clear a diversity of relations among people, objects, and environments that are otherwise obscured. Operating at the intersection of various disciplines (archaeology, anthropology, geology, and economics), this dissertation presents a thorough perspective of how resource acquisition and consumption may organize a diversity of social practices. Understanding the development and effect of these relationships draws attention to the material character of economic practices and community development, and enhances our current understanding of the material basis upon which societies function. By actively engaging with the complex connections which form between people and the material world, this dissertation challenges our current understanding of how communities develop and function by emphasizing the physical processes which draw people into particular forms of relationships with one another.

Abstract: This article examines the raw materials used to produce the artefacts found at five sites in Teleorman County, Romania. These sites range from the Neolithic (Star čevo-Criş, Dudeşti, and Vădastra) to the Chalcolithic (Gumelniţa A2 and B1). In larger surrounding area, there are numerous sources of knappable raw materials suitable for producing tools. These materials are described and compared by macroscopic and microscopic means. The artefacts were similarly analysed in order to help determine their provenance. Among other things, this study indicates that the populations at these settlements predominantly used locally available materials.
Rezumat: Acest articol analizează materiile prime, utilizate pentru producerea de artefacte, găsite în cinci situri din judeţul Teleorman, România. Datează din neolitic (Starčevo-Criş, Dudeşti şi Vădastra) şi eneolitic (Gumelniţa A2 şi B1). În zona înconjurătoare, există numeroase surse de materii prime adecvate pentru producerea de unelte prin cioplire. Materialele sunt descrise şi comparate din punct de vedere macroscopic şi microscopic. Artefactele au fost analizate în mod similar, în scopul de a ajuta la determinarea provenienţei lor. Printre altele, studiu indică faptul că populaţiile din aceste aşezări, utilizau, în principal, materiale disponibile pe plan local.

In the course of a revision of the Repolust Cave site an analysis of the lithic finds was carried out. The lithic find
complex consisting of quartz and chert artefacts is the most substantial Palaeolithic assemblage in the Eastern Alpine region.
One distinctive raw material, a variety of tabular chert, is known to occur regularly at Styrian Neolithic sites. Due to great
visual similarities, this raw material was thought to originate from the well known Baiersdorf chert source in Lower Bavaria. At
the same time, a chert source with a similar kind of tabular chert, macroscopically indistinguishable from the Baiersdorf chert,
was recognized at the Rein basin north of Graz. For the purpose of distinguishing these chert sources, a project was set up to
identify the provenance of the chert through the application of natural scientific methods. Due to the geological setting of the
raw material sources, their clear distinction was possible using LA-ICPMS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass
Spectrometry). In view of the great similarity of the two tabular chert varieties to the Repolust Cave chert, the obtained
research results were then applied to that assemblage. Ultimately, it was possible to identify the origin of the Repolust Cave chert finds as the Rein basin chert outcrop.