Preliminary remarks on the most important sources of lithic raw material used in Prehistoric tool-making Cover Image

Considerații preliminare asupra celor mai importante surse de materie primă litică întrebuințată în preistorie pentru realizarea utilajelor
Preliminary remarks on the most important sources of lithic raw material used in Prehistoric tool-making

Author(s): Marin Cârciumaru, Cristina Elena Niţu, Alin Frânculeasa
Subject(s): Archaeology, Cultural history, Ancient World
Published by: Editura Academiei Române
Keywords: lithic material; prehistoric communities; silex; radiolaria; jasper; volcanic glass;

Summary/Abstract: The study of the sources concerning primary lithic assemblages is of a great importance in the archaeological research related to the prehistorical communities. Based on the existence of a good quality primary lithic material in a certain area the prehistoric human being chose his living sites and also could make good strategies for exploitation surrounding areas. The archaeologist has to rebuild as accurate as possible the economical, social and spiritual life of the prehistoric time. The archaeologist has to focus to establish the outcrop spreading, based on the natural factors of the region and also to estimate the quality and the potential of these rocks in order to be manufactured by the prehistoric human being. After that the archaeologist has to interpret the possible ways of exploitation of these rocks. This is a preliminary study which describes only the outcrops found since now. All outcrop descriptions are taken from other studies and where it was necessary some corrections were made. Our study takes into account only few types of rocks considered by the ancient human being as having special qualities. These rocks present a special way of breaking and a high hardness; some examples are: the silex, the radiolaria, the jasper, the volcanic glass, some rocks belonging to the schist group, the chert and chailles.

  • Issue Year: 30/2007
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 7-40
  • Page Count: 35
  • Language: English, Romanian