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1
Leger, Travis. "A Spectre in Polished Obsidian." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2011. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/126.
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The author joins the Peace Corps in the hopes that he will discover who he really is yet he only finds frustration. Upon returning to the States he has a daughter and finds peace. Within this peace, as he types up the life history of a friend, he finally makes a breakthrough, yet the answer he finds is not to his liking.
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Maeda, Osamu. "The materiality of obsidian and the practice of obsidian use in the neolithic near east." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.506237.
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This thesis investigates the social significance of obsidian use in the Neolithic Near East. However, unlike many traditional studies, its aim is neither to study the formal patterns of obsidian exchange nor to clarify the regional and chronological variation of obsidian artefacts. Instead, it approaches the issue of the use of obsidian from an interpretative perspective that conceives of it as 'material practice' through which social relationships between communities were constructed.
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Vargo, Barbara A. "Characterization Of Obsidian Sources In Pantelleria, Italy." [Tampa, Fla.] : University of South Florida, 2003. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/SFE0000217.
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Healey, Elizabeth Anne. "Role of obsidian in the late Halaf." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2000. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.488043.
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Fowler, Benjamin L. "Obsidian Toolstone Conveyance: Southern Idaho Forager Mobility." DigitalCommons@USU, 2014. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/3904.
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The purpose of this study is to understand how prehistoric people moved around the landscape and used major stone tool resources throughout the last 10,000 yr. B.P. in southern Idaho. Similar research has been reported in the Great Basin and western Wyoming and this study continues to fill the map with data about how large regions of the western United States were used prehistorically. This study specifically examined whether or not prehistoric mobility changed according to wet and dry climatic shifts. Based on these shifts archaeologists expect the regions people used to expand or shrink using an economic model of decision-making when foragers were confronted with the choice to stay in one resource area or move to another while pursuing plants and animals for food. To measure this decision prehistorically, obsidian projectile points and tools left behind throughout time were analyzed to determine where the stone originated geologically, a concept known as conveyance. The data were gathered from many regional studies and new sourcing of 139 artifacts from southeastern Idaho regional collections and excavations at the Fox Site near Thatcher, Idaho. In the compiled dataset are 4,440 artifacts from 640 archaeological sites in southern Idaho that originate from 37 obsidian sources.
Analysis of this dataset grouped archaeology sites based on the percentage of different obsidian sources used, creating conveyance zone sets that were encompassed by statistically created ovals in mapping software. Four trans-Holocene conveyance zones are proposed and described: the Malad Conveyance Zone (MCZ), Timber Butte Conveyance Zone (TBCZ), Big Southern Butte Conveyance Zone (BSBCZ), and Snake River Conveyance Zone (SRCZ). These zones are then separated into four wet or dry climate periods and changes in mobility are compared to the economic decision model. Overall the MCZ and TBCZ both met the expectations of the model, while the BSBCZ and SRCZ did not. Another test of the data reveals that the number of obsidian sources used and the evenness of their use is not correlated with conveyance zone size, which helps confirm that these zones reproduce prehistoric behavior and are not a statistical product of the availability of obsidian in a region.
The conveyance zones described in this study are comparable in size to those proposed in neighboring regions. Research also finds that southern Idaho conveyance zones were firmly established in the Early Holocene and shows that conveyance zones can be created from large datasets in a statistically robust manner and enable researchers to look at changes in forager mobility across large spatial and temporal scales. Expectations for forager mobility are partially supported by the variability wet and dry climate during the last 10,000 years B.P.
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Moutsiou, Theodora. "The obsidian evidence for the scale of social life during the Palaeolithic." Thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London, 2011. http://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/4d9fed49-b0e5-9e03-1ada-20588eaf31d4/9/.
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The social aspect of modern hominin behaviour is a neglected subject within recent Palaeolithic research. This thesis addresses this issue arguing that modern social behaviour is reflected in the hominin ability to create and maintain extended social networks where relatedness is successfully sustained in absentia. Archaeologically, modern social behaviour can be detected through the investigation of raw material movement. This thesis argues that by concentrating on materials that are rare, distinctive and their origins can be securely identified it is possible to reconstruct the dimensions of the exchange networks involved in their circulation. The proposition being tested is that the greater the distances of raw material movement the more advanced the behavioural abilities of the individuals involved in the transfers. Obsidian provides an opportunity to reconstruct the scale of its movement and to use these data to infer the changing scale of social life during the Palaeolithic. Using the distances of obsidian movement a network model is developed and used in the reconstruction of the Palaeolithic social landscape. This research brings together for the first time all the published instances of obsidian use during the Palaeolithic. Obsidian-bearing sites from the Palaeolithic and located in Africa, Europe and the Near East are analysed with the aim of elucidating the evolution of modern social behaviour. GtJi15 (Kenya) and Bodrogkerestúr (Hungary) serve as the case studies for the exploration of the distance effect on technological and typological issues of the obsidian movement. The research demonstrated a strong correlation between obsidian use and long distances. The choice of obsidian makes sense within a system of exchange in which hominins chose to obtain their materials from elsewhere in order to maintain social links with other, more distant, groups. I argue that the scale of obsidian movement, although conditioned by a number of climatic, ecological and anatomical constraints, is actually rooted in social grounds. I thereby reject theories that see behavioural modernity as a recent advance in human history and argue for modern behaviour as gradual process that was initiated in East Africa at least as early as the Middle Stone Age.
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Aldenderfer, Mark. "Cronología y conexiones: evidencias precerámicas de Asana." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2012. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/113402.
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Chronology and Connections: Preceramic Evidences at Asana SiteWith its long and continuous history of occupation, the site of Asana has a unique body of information to offer for the study of the Archaic Period in the south-central Andes. In this paper, I explore two important themes: the chronological sequence of occupation at the site with specific regard to the ways in which phases are defined, and the evidence from the site that describes the connections Asana had throughout its occupation with other regions of the Andean world. In the latter I examine in detail projectile point style and the sources of obsidian and other lithic materials found at the site. There is strong evidence for connections to the central Andes, the Colca valley, and the northern Chilean valleys.Con su larga y continua historia de ocupación, el sitio de Asana tiene un único conjunto de información que ofrecer para el estudio del Periodo Arcaico en los Andes surcentrales. En este artículo, exploraremos dos temas importantes: la secuencia cronológica de la ocupación en el sitio con énfasis en los modos en que se definen las fases y la evidencia que describe las conexiones que Asana tuvo a través de sus ocupaciones con otras regiones del mundo andino. Por último se examinan en detalle los estilos de puntas de proyectil y las fuentes de obsidiana, así como otros materiales líticos encontrados en el sitio. Hay una fuerte evidencia para conexiones con los Andes Centrales, el valle del Colca y los valles del norte chileno.
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Morgan, Jessica Anne. "Obsidian Source Selection in the Early Bronze Age Cyclades." Scholar Commons, 2015. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5746.
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From excavations of burial complexes of the Early Bronze Age Cyclades (c. 3000-2200 BC) we know that obsidian was just as important and as widely consumed in burial contexts as it was in contemporaneous household contexts; Early Bronze Age Cycladic tomb assemblages are dominated by beautiful obsidian blades produced through a unique knapping technique reserved for burial contexts (Carter 2007; Dickinson 1994). The lack of sourcing studies in the area is an unfortunate pitfall in Aegean archaeology, as understanding patterns of source selection provides us with precious insight into the complex social structures and behaviors that characterized these ancient communities.
The research detailed in this thesis set out to accomplish these goals for obsidian assemblages from 11 Early Cycladic cemeteries. Structurally, these assemblages are dominated by pressure-flaked blades manufactured specifically for funerary consumption, but also include a small number of blade cores and some pieces of flaking debris. Contextually, the composition of the assemblages reflects the social significance of body modification amongst these islanders, with the blades themselves likely used for depilation, scarification, and tattooing, and the cores reemployed as pestles in the grinding of pigments, as evidenced by pigment residues located on the artifacts (Carter 1998). Two additional assemblages from settlements on Crete were analyzed, one from a Late Neolithic cave site and another from a Late Minoan settlement. These assemblages served both to provide additional regional and temporal context for the Early Cycladic findings and to advance obsidian sourcing efforts in the Aegean as a whole.
In order to characterize the chemical profiles of these artifacts for sourcing purposes, this study employed portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, a non-destructive archaeometric method which allows for the time- and cost-effective mass-sampling of objects on-site. The results display clearly that the Early Cycladic artifacts are overwhelmingly made from Melian obsidian, and approximately 88% derive from the Sta Nychia source. How far-reaching this procurement bias is throughout the Early Bronze Age Aegean is currently difficult to say, though contemporary data from previous studies, as well as the results obtained from the two Cretan assemblages in this study, seem to show a similar pattern. Future research integrating regional traditions of obsidian source selection with previously defined regional distinctions in pressure-blade technology is necessary in order to begin to map communities of practice across the broader Aegean.
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Krueger, Elizabeth A. S. B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Characterization of Kenyan obsidian through analysis of magnetic properties." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89968.
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Thesis: S.B. in Archaeology and Materials, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 46-49).
Obsidian is known to have been used for tool making in Kenya since the Early Stone Age, appearing as early as 974 thousand years ago (Durkee and Brown, in press). Past research has shown that the study of obsidian artifacts, and the determination of their provenance, can be very useful in reconstructing past civilizations and analyzing the spread of technology and trade. A number of different analytical techniques have previously been utilized to characterize obsidian sources for such studies, including magnetic analysis. This thesis reports the results of a preliminary study to explore the potential of utilizing magnetic analysis for the characterization of obsidian sources in Kenya. A total of 192 samples from 23 localities, belonging to 6 broadly defined petrologically distinct source groups, were analyzed using a vibrating sample magnetometer to test saturation magnetization (Ms), remanence magnetization (Mr), and coercivity (Hc). Comparing the ratio of Mr/Ms with Hc allowed clear differentiation among three of the analyzed obsidian sources (Groups 14, 19, and 29 from Merrick and Brown 1984a). The magnetic signatures reveal clues about the microscopic Fe mineral grains present in the samples, suggesting that magnetic characterization also has the potential to provide additional value as a supplementary technique to chemical analysis. Based on these preliminary results, it is proposed that future studies could examine the temperature dependence of the magnetic properties of obsidian to provide more complete characterization of the obsidian sources.
by Elizabeth A. Krueger.
S.B. in Archaeology and Materials
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Kletti, Holger. "Petrogenese des Obsidians von Ikizdere (NO Türkei)." [S.l.] : [s.n.], 2002. http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=964992965.
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Hurcombe, Linda Mary. "Microwear analysis of obsidian chipped stone tools in the western Mediterranean." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.309347.
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Conolly, James. "The Çatalhöyük flint and obsidian industry : technology and typology in context /." Oxford : Archaeopress : British archaeological reports, 1999. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb37180624t.
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Rojas, Ayala Chachi. "Estudio por espectroscopia Mössbauer de obsidianas arqueológicas peruanas." Bachelor's thesis, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 1999. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12672/6333.
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Estudia un conjunto de utensilios de obsidianas arqueológicas peruanas procedentes de las secuencias de Ayacucho (Colección MacNeish) fechados a una edad 8000-3500 a.c. y de la Costa Sur del Perú (Sitios Maymi y Casa Vieja, Ica) correspondiente al periodo Horizonte Medio = 800 d.c., a través de la espectroscopia Mossbauer del 57Fe. Asimismo, con la idea de un trabajo futuro de establecimiento de rutas de intercambio y estudio de procedencias en agrupamientos humanos sentados en la Cordillera de los Andes, se estudian algunas muestras de obsidianas de fuentes volcánicas próximas a los puntos de recolección. Realiza una caracterización Mossbauer de un total 25 muestras de obsidianas, basados en la información proveniente del entorno local de átomos de Fe dentro de la estructura vidriosa de la obsidiana. Los resultados muestran una relación para la proporción Fe2+/Fe3+, así como una comparación de los diferentes valores de los parámetros hiperfinos para cada una de las muestras analizadas. Los estudios Mossbauer permiten también desprender la existencia de orden de corto alcance en las estructuras vidriosas de las obsidianas, así como determinar la presencia de óxidos de hierro, como la magnetita y hematita.Tesis
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Young, Michelle. "From The Mountain To The Sea: Exchange Between The South-Central Highlands And The South Coast During The Early Horizon Period." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2017. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/113326.
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This article reviews the evidence of the exchange of obsidian and cinnabar, highly coveted resources that traveled in prehistoric Peru from the south-central highlands to the Paracas culture area. The evidence for exchange of these materials is compared with evidence of cultural exchange between the coast and the south-central highlands, focusing on ceramic materials uncovered from excavations at the archaeological site Atalla, located in the region of Huancavelica, Peru. The article argues that the south-central highlands were integral to the obsidian and cinnabar exchange networks of the south coast. In particular, the site of Atalla, a regional ceremonial center connected to the Early Horizon interaction networks, was connected economically to the south coast and participated in the regional interaction sphere of the south-central highlands, but also maintained very strong cultural connections with the center of Chavín de Huántar. It is also suggested that the nature of the interactions between the Paracas society and those of the south-central highlands varied depending on the region; the interaction between Paracas and Atalla seems to have concentrated mainly on economic and non-cultural exchange, whereas sites such as Campanayuq Rumi from the Ayacucho region demonstrate evidence of Paracas cultural influence. Some possible mechanisms which might explain the observed variability in exchange patterns are explored.Este artículo examina la evidencia sobre el intercambio de obsidiana y cinabrio, recursos altamente codiciados que viajaron en la prehistoria del Perú, desde la sierra centro-sur a la zona de la sociedad Paracas. La evidencia del intercambiode estos materiales se compara con evidencia de intercambio cultural entre la costa sur y la sierra centro-sur, material cerámico descubierto de excavaciones en el sitio arqueológico Atalla, ubicado en la región de Huancavelica, Perú. El artículo sostiene que la sierra centro-sur era parte integral de las redes de intercambio de obsidiana y cinabrio de la costa sur. En particular, el sitio de Atalla, un centro ceremonial regional conectado a las redes de interacción del Horizonte Temprano, estaba conectado económicamente con la costa sur y participaba en la esfera de interacción regional de la sierra centro-sur, pero mantuvo conexiones culturales muy fuertes con el centro de Chavín de Huántar También se sugiere que la naturaleza de las interacciones entre la sociedad de Paracas y las de la sierra centro-sur varió según la región; la interacción entre Paracas y Atalla parece concentrarse principalmente en el intercambio económico y no cultural, mientras que sitios como Campanayuq Rumi, de la región de Ayacucho, demuestran evidencia de la influencia cultural de Paracas.Se exploran algunos posibles mecanismos que podrían explicar la variabilidad observada en los patrones de intercambio.
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ESTRADA, ABREGO MIGUEL ANGEL. "LA OBSIDIANA DE LA SIERRA DE LAS CRUCES: ANÁLISIS Y CARACTERIZACIÓN FORMAL Y DE COMPOSICIÓN ELEMENTAL." Tesis de Licenciatura, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11799/68067.
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La presente tesis forma parte del “Proyecto arqueológico de la Cuenca de México al valle de Toluca. Estudio de la interacción y desplazamientos poblacionales en época prehispánica” dirigido por el Dr. Rubén Nieto Hernández que tiene como objetivo general, lograr una aproximación a los mecanismos que permitieron la interacción entre el valle de Toluca y la cuenca de México.
Esta tesis tiene como objetivo general, explicar la presencia y distribución de obsidiana en la sierra de las cruces a lo largo de la historia prehispánica, a partir del examen de la obsidiana recuperada durante dos temporadas de recorridos de superficie en la sierra de las Cruces, donde se puso especial atención en los caminos identificados en la cartografía, fuentes históricas y, en especial, en el imaginario popular. De este modo, se identificaron un total de 36 sitios arqueológicos pertenecientes a los periodos Preclásico, Clásico, Epiclásico y Posclásico, donde destacan los que se ubicaron a lo largo de los caminos registrados, pero se consideró también a los existentes en la zona intermontana que desarrollaron una dinámica propia adaptada a las condiciones biofísicas. La estrategia consistió en dividir la zona de estudio en dos corredores naturales que coinciden con las trayectorias que comunican en la actualidad al valle de Toluca con la cuenca de México. De manera específica, se logró el registro de 22 sitios en el primer corredor (Xonacatlán- Naucalpan) y 14 en el segundo (Lerma-Cuajimalpa).
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Rademaker, Kurt. "Geoarchaeological Investigations of the Waynuna Site and the Alca Obsidian Source, Peru." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2006. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/RademakerK2006.pdf.
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Setzer, Teddi J. "Use-Wear Experiments With Sardinian Obsidian: Determining Its Function In The Neolithic." [Tampa, Fla.] : University of South Florida, 2004. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/SFE0000325.
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Popelka-Filcoff, Rachel S. "Applications of elemental analysis for archaeometric studies analytical and statistical methods for understanding geochemical trends in ceramics, ochre and obsidian /." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4495.
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Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 7, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.
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Denton, Joanna Sarah. "The post-emplacement hydration and alteration of subglacially erupted obsidian to form perlite." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.578263.
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This thesis contains a detailed investigation of volatiles within subglacially erupted rhyolites from Torfajokull and Krafla, Iceland. Thermogravimetric, FTIR and XRD analyses have been combined with field observations and thin section obser- vations to investigate the coupling between fracturing and hydration resulting in the formation of perlite. The dominant volatiles in perlites are shown to be water. Perlites are enriched in water with respect to obsidians and total volatile contents vary between litho- facies. More-perlitised obsidians are found to be enriched in water compared to less-perlitised obsidians. Water is shown to decrease with distance inwards from the margin of lava lobes and the assumed external water source present during formation. Water also decreases inwards from the edges of perlitic beads (away from the perlitic fracture). The variations in water content are shown to be due to changes in water species indicative of external hydration. An inverse relationship exists between total volatile content and the temperature of maximum degassing. Hydration is shown to be stronger when grainsizes are smaller due to a greater surface area to volume ratio. Fracturing and volatile contents are strongly coupled with the extent of hydration related to the locations of fractures. The distance of water enrichment either side of major and perlitic fractures corre- lates well with theoretical diffusion distances of water at <400°C suggesting that perlitisation occurs once the obsidian is below the glass transition temperature and responds to stress in a brittle fashion. The extensive perlitisation seen in Iceland is dependent on initial planar (major) fracture formation through cooling contraction. Water exploits these fractures and diffuses into the matrix glass via the major fracture-glass interface. Perlitic fracture formation can occur via stress relief and/or stress corrosion. Once perlite has formed the fractures are shown to facilitate further hydration/alteration which is likely to proceed until a soil is formed.
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Araya, Ana Maria Osorio. "Datação de obsidianas com o método dos traços de fissão." [s.n.], 1990. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/278139.
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Orientadores: Julio Cesar Hadler Neto, Giulio BigazziTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb Wataghin
Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-13T22:17:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Araya_AnaMariaOsorio_D.pdf: 1229361 bytes, checksum: 5b8b9c7b766d7e1db708b048a8ca92e9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1990
Resumo: Não informado
Abstract: Not informed.
Doutorado
Física
Doutor em Ciências
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Bullock, Liam Adam. "Structure, emplacement and textural evolution of young obsidian lavas in the Aeolian Islands, Italy." Thesis, Keele University, 2015. http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/2353/.
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Silicic volcanism defines the recent volcanic activity in the Aeolian Islands, Italy. Such activity on the islands of Lipari and Vulcano has generally involved an explosive phase, ending with viscous lava extrusion and a period of quiescence. This late effusive extrusion has resulted in a number of obsidian lava flows and domes. Obsidian lavas on Lipari and Vulcano are texturally heterogeneous, and many of the young lava flows show signs of flow deformation associated with flow emplacement. Preservation of such textures and structures is important for the reconstruction of the structural and textural evolution of young obsidian lava flows, in the Aeolian Islands lavas and elsewhere. Models of emplacement of obsidian lavas are still relatively limited, and there is still a need for a detailed model for obsidian lava flow emplacement. Questions also remain regarding spherulite formation in obsidian lavas, including when spherulites begin to form, over what timescale, and their relationship to deformation. Obsidian flows on Lipari and Vulcano exhibit a number of textures relating to both magmatic and post-magmatic processes. These textures provide an opportunity to build a model that categorises textural evolution in an active volcanic setting. This study incorporates a number of petrographic, geochemical and textural methods in order to fully characterise the structure, emplacement and textural evolution of young obsidian lavas in the Aeolian Islands. The findings contribute towards our understanding of silicic volcanism in the Aeolian Islands, our overall understanding of obsidian lava flow emplacement and spherulite formation, and the complex structural and textural relationships within obsidian lavas.
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Farr, R. H. "Navigating the Neolithic : the circulation of obsidian and maritime travel in the central Mediterranean." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.598941.
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This research takes one prime example of Neolithic exchange, that of obsidian, and explores the journeys behind these arrows. In so doing, this work explores obsidian reduction and circulation alongside travel and seafaring in the central Mediterranean Neolithic. This combined exploration of Neolithic activities from a social perspective opens a window onto the dynamic, interwoven activities which constructed the rich tapestry of daily Neolithic life. These inter-linking relations between daily activities are shown to begin to move use beyond simple technological, economical or ritual interpretations of the Neolithic. This research investigates the social process behind travel, exchange, obsidian reduction and seafaring and in so doing helps us to understand more about Neolithic sociality, including social organisation, skill and knowledge. Through consideration of these social aspects within obsidian reduction and circulation, seafaring and travel within dynamic landscapes it is possible to gain an understanding of how concepts of temporality and space were generated through daily activities. In the process of this research, lithic analysis indicated that generally held beliefs about the circulation of obsidian were unfounded. Equally, it became clear that the value and use of obsidian across the region differed locally. The data supported a picture of locally distinct communities undertaking activities in locally distinct manners yet within an overarching regional framework.
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Bruijn, Natasja de. "Lithic landscapes and taskscapes : obsidian procurement, production and use in west central Sardinia, Italy." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2006. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3765/.
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This thesis studies lithic landscapes and taskscapes from an explicit perspective of social practice. It explores the spatial and temporal dimensions of the three main interlocking lithic activities: procurement, production and use/discard. Five key concepts are used to explore human choice and interaction in these three fields: practice, knowledge, skill, strategy and tradition. Sardinia and the obsidian artefacts from the Riu Mannu Survey Project data have served as a case study. My research approach was developed to gain an understanding of the spatial and temporal developments of Sardinian lithic landscape and taskscapes. It has provided much-needed information on procurement and production strategies in Sardinia. Careful examination of the spatial and temporal interplay between source location, obsidian types, primary and secondary chaîne opératoires and aesthetic preferences has demonstrated that lithic practice is an inherently social day-to-day practice. Analysis has revealed a number of long-standing habitus in Sardinian lithic practice; procurement, production and use/discard strategies are not easily tied to specific regions or time periods. At the same time, variations also existed, and local choices are clearly visible. Production and use/discard is organised at a house-hold level and occurs primarily, but not exclusively, at permanent settlements. Part of the dataset has also shown that occasional and different activities occurred elsewhere. Moreover, this study revealed that so-called simple or expedient assemblages, especially single-stage flake, blade and mixed flake/blade reduction and bipolar flake reduction are skilfully knapped.
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Carter, Tristan Bruce. "'Through a glass darkly' : obsidian and society in the southern Aegean Early Bronze Age." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1998. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1317919/.
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This thesis considers the social context of Southern Aegean lithic technology during the fourth-third millennia B.C., focusing on the socio-political significance accorded the production and consumption of obsidian blades from the later Neolithic-Early Bronze Age. In Section One (Chapters One-Five) past work on Aegean obsidian is examined critically. Through drawing on data generated by recent surveys and excavations in the southern mainland, the Cyclades and Crete, it is argued that from the later Neolithic - EBII, the working of obsidian shifted from a community-wide basis to being located within a restricted number of settlements. These latter sites, due to their size and associated material culture, are suggested regional centres, acting as loci for skilled knappers and the dissemination of their products. This ability to influence or directly control such individuals is claimed to have played a role in the development of social inequality. The central part of the thesis, Section Two (Chapters Six-Nine) discusses the appearance of fine obsidian blades within the EBI Cycladic burial record, arguing that this new mode of consumption provides a context where one can see the reconceptualisation and political appropriation of lithic technology. The regular association of obsidian blades with materials associated with body modification and personal display suggest their use in depilation and scarification: the physical manifestation of an individual's political identity. This role, however, has to be seen as largely symbolic, as microwear analysis shows that these blades were generally interred unused and in such fresh state to suggest that most were produced specifically for burial. Finally, it is considered that the pan-Southern Aegean adoption of this funerary habit, from the late EBI onwards, was largely the result of social processes, namely the long-distance voyaging that formed such an important factor in forging and articulating ideology and cosmology in the Early Cycladic world. The appearance of this burial practice beyond the Cyclades is investigated in the context of contemporary socialrelations and a number of other variables that may have affected the act's meaning in regions such as the Mesara of Southern Crete. Section Three (Chapters Ten-Twelve) deals with those sites where notably higher concentrations of 'Cycladica' have led to suggestions that something above and beyond trade and exchange was responsible for creating the archaeological record: that of physical movement and colonisation. Through my studies it has been recognised that a number of subtly different techniques were employed to produce the fine pressureflaked blades from both domestic and mortuary contexts, some of which have quite specific temporal and spatial distributions. The chipped stone from the three cemeteries central to this controversy: Aghia Photia, Archanes and Manika, were analysed in the context of their relationship to contemporary lithic technology in the Cyclades. Detailed, holistic, contextual analyses have produced remarkably positive results, implying the presence of an immigrant population at the former site, whilst the material from the latter two communities can be largely explained through the adoption and manipulation of exotic social practices. As with every aspect of this thesis' work, these results are then discussed in the light of broader southern Aegean political issues.
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Higgins, Richard E. "Pre-Classic Hohokam Obsidian in the Tucson Basin: Examing Patterns in Procurement and Use." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613575.
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Obsidian source attribution has become an important tool in examining many aspects of prehistoric lifeways including exchange, identity, social and economic boundaries, and many others. This thesis provides a comprehensive look at obsidian spatial distributions in the Tucson Basin Hohokam Pre-Classic period, ca. A.D. 750-1150. By examining currently available data and providing new data from three sites in the northern Tucson Basin conclusions about trends in spatial and temporal use of obsidian are made. Obsidian procurement and spatial distribution in the Tucson Basin appears to be distinct from neighboring regions and continuity with later Classic period, ca. A.D. 1150-1450 obsidian use is likely. There appears to be a clear preference for western obsidian sources in the northern Tucson basin, while the southern basin may have a slight preference for materials to the east. The limited obsidian data for the Colonial period, ca. A.D. 750-950 suggests that its distribution was controlled by similar processes to those observed in the Sedentary period, ca. A.D. 950-1150. This research further suggests that strong avenues are open for future research.
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Soria, González Vélez Arleny Alena. "Percepción de los turistas acerca de la autenticidad de las artesanías de obsidiana en Teotihuacan." Tesis de Licenciatura, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11799/99798.
Full textAbstract:
La elaboración de artesanías de hace siglos corresponde en la actualidad a la producción de herramientas que el ser humano utiliza en la vida diaria. Sin embargo, al cambiar la vida de las personas estos artículos han tenido que modificarse ya sea parcial o totalmente en su forma de producirlos, en el tipo de material, las técnicas, los diseños o inclusive la función para la que fueron hechas en sus inicios.
Debido a lo anterior, muchos objetos artesanales han dejado de ser útiles y han pasado a ser un ornamento más en hogares u oficinas, porque ya no son completamente instrumentales como en sus inicios, ahora cumplen funciones más bien culturales. Las personas las adquieren para obtener una materialización de su visita a algún lugar, para mostrársela a sus conocidos y así adquirir una validación ante la sociedad.
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Luiz, Juliet C. "Comparative thermoluminescence dating of Quaternary North American obsidians and crystalline lavas." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0008/MQ36368.pdf.
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Freund, Kyle P. "Lithic Technology and Obsidian Exchange Networks in Bronze Age Sardinia, Italy (ca. 1600-850 B.C.)." Scholar Commons, 2010. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3429.
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The Sardinian Bronze Age (Nuragic period) and the factors which created and maintained an island-wide identity as seen through the presence of its distinctive nuraghi have received considerable attention; however the amount of research directly related to the stone tools of the era has been relatively limited despite the wealth of knowledge it is capable of yielding. This thesis hopes to contribute to Sardinian archaeology through the study of ancient technology, specifically obsidian lithic technology, by combining typological information with source data gleaned from the use of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). These data are integrated with statistical analyses breaking down the spatial distribution of nuraghi across the island through the use of distance-based methods, including k-means and kernel density analyses, which create a more comprehensive understanding of the island-wide political and social structure. This research will test the hypothesis that changes in the acquisition of obsidian raw materials were coupled with corresponding changes in how the obsidian was used. The results provide precedence for future work in Sardinia and create a model for integrating two types of analyses, sourcing and typological. By combining these results, it is possible to investigate how obsidian influenced the ancient economy as well as assess its cultural significance for people of the past.
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Haines, Helen Rozeann. "Intra-site obsidian distribution and consumption patterns in Northern Belize and the North-Eastern Peten." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.325664.
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Chauca, Iparraguirre George Edward. "El aleph volcánico de la costa sur del Perú: estudio de la obsidiana precerámica de la boca del río Ica." Master's thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12404/15695.
Full textAbstract:
Este estudio se configuró con el propósito de aproximarnos a conocer el mecanismo de
abastecimiento que los habitantes de las inmediaciones de la desembocadura del río Ica
emplearon durante el Precerámico Medio y Tardío (8000 a 3000 cal AP) para proveerse de
obsidiana, piedra volcánica que aflora solo en algunos lugares de las tierras altas de los Andes
centrales. En tal sentido, se procedió a establecer la forma que tuvo la obsidiana cuando arribó al
litoral y, con la técnica de fluorescencia de rayos-X, determinar la fuente de procedencia. El
conjunto de datos obtenidos con la presente investigación fue empleado, junto con información
etnográfica de cazadores recolectores y el registro arqueológico publicado de la costa sur del Perú,
para evaluar la pertinencia de dos modelos de aprovisionamiento: acceso directo e intercambio
tipo down the line trade. La evaluación permitió concluir que al interior de la costa sur (incluyendo
estepa serrana y puna adyacente) se distribuyó obsidiana mediante el mecanismo de intercambio
sucesivo en forma de cadena. Asimismo, el conjunto de datos expuesto permite establecer con
mayor precisión la antigüedad de la obsidiana en el litoral de la región Ica, aproximarnos al valor
cultural que le asignaron sus usuarios, sugerir su pertinencia como rasgo cultural que distingue a
este sector del litoral peruano del resto y su relevancia como evidencia de la profundidad
temporal de las raíces de la red de relaciones sociales que integro la costa sur en tiempos
cerámicos: Paracas y Nasca.Tesis
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Kingsbury, Cole G. "Physical Volcanology of Obsidian Dome, California: A Complex Record of Emplacement of a Youthful Lava Dome." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/22840.
Full textAbstract:
Obsidian Dome is a 550-650 year old, 1.5 by 1.8 km extrusion of high silica rhyolite situated along the Inyo Craters in eastern California. Field, and observations of drill core, reveals discrete metre-scale thick zones of rhyolitic glass exposed along the margin of Obsidian Dome as well as within its interior. Millimetre-scale flow-banded obsidian, pumice and rhyolite range from planar to chaotically folded, the latter a product of ductile, compressive deformation. Fractures, some of which display en-echelon splitting patterns are a result of brittle failure. Taken together, these features along with others, result from flow during lava dome growth and suggest complex emplacement patterns signified by vesiculation, crystallization and repeated brittle-ductile deformation, owing to episodic crossing of the glass transition. Evidence further shows that gas loss from the system occurred due to explosions, pumice formation and also brecciation of the melt as it episodically crossed the glass transition. Loss of gas by these mechanisms along with the inherent high viscosity of rhyolite melt explains the large amount of glass found on and within Obsidian Dome and other similar rhyolite extrusions in comparison to less silica-rich systems.
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Dickinson, Paul Tyrrell. "Through a glass darkly : finding values in obsidian stemmed tools from New Britain, Papua New Guinea." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38825.
Full textAbstract:
The ways of life of the inhabitants of prehistoric New Britain were almost unknown to archaeologists until the last quarter of the twentieth century. Until recently, the people who lived there during the early to mid-Holocene period, and who left scant traces in the archaeological record, were assumed to have been residentially mobile foragers living in simple societies. More recent research has shown that people were making and exchanging large, highly worked, obsidian tools. The inference was that these tools carried a component of social value and were used to signal status, and that the societies of mid-Holocene New Britain were more complex than previously thought. My aim is to demonstrate that a detailed study of a distinctive class of obsidian stemmed tools supports the proposition that networks, in which concepts of social value existed and symbolic capital was exchanged, flourished in West New Britain in the period 5900-3600 BP. This is achieved primarily by using a high-magnification use-wear analysis which, together with supplementary typological and raw material provenancing evidence, enables use-lives of individual artefacts to be constructed. An exploration of both the nature of value and of archaeological evidence for the ways in which people behave in response to the social value of such as status, prestige and identity provides a basis for linking the object biographies of these objects with ways in which people acted in response to symbolic and social value. The results demonstrate that one group of stemmed tools were standardised products made by specialist craft workers acting within some form of social network and exchange system. The people who owned them treated them as ‘special’ objects, recognizing that some of the value attached to these tools was distinct from and separate to any value they may have had as practical utensils. Use-wear is customarily seen as a functional analysis approach which provides data about matters such as diet and subsistence. Employing use-wear to address more abstract concepts such as status, prestige and identity is innovative and marks a step forward in the way in which a high-magnification microwear study can contribute to archaeology.
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Quintana, Molina Alan Gerardo. "Plan de negocios para la creación de una empresa de Dildos artesanales hechos en obsidiana en México." Tesis de Licenciatura, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11799/100020.
Full textAbstract:
La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo principal desarrollar e implementar un plan de negocios para la creación de la empresa Fire Crystal México dedicada a la elaboración de dildos artesanales hechos con piedra obsidiana en el municipio de Teotihuacán, México. Con el apoyo de investigaciones, análisis y diseñando las acciones que se necesitan para distribuir y comercializar el producto. El análisis de investigación de mercado reveló que la población objetivo para Fire Crystal México son todos los hombres y mujeres mayores de 25 años, activos sexualmente y con un nivel socio-económico A, B y C+, al igual personas que gustan y se sienten identificadas con el arte erótico y receptivas ante algo que, fuera de lo convencional es apreciado como arte y lujo.
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Bark, Richard Gerard. "INVESTIGATION INTO THE SUSPECTED LATE HOLOCENE DECLINE IN OBSIDIAN USE AT SITES ON EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/468.
Full textAbstract:
Archaeological investigations at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) have been ongoing for more than 40 years. Yet the findings from the vast majority of those efforts are available only as grey literature that is known only to a relative few. The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate a late Holocene decline in obsidian frequency reported by researchers working in the Bissell Basin and Rosamond Dry Lake region of Edwards AFB near the turn of the 21st century. A secondary purpose of this thesis was to shine a light on an area of the western Mojave Desert that is not widely known despite more than four decades of research.
In order to explore the reported decline in obsidian frequency, I created an obsidian database using data gleaned from nearly 50 cultural resources management reports and supplemented those data with sourcing and hydration information for 39 additional obsidian artifacts. Those data were organized into tables, charts, and histograms to look for patterns that would support or refute the claim that obsidian use decreased significantly after the Gypsum time period (4000 to 1500 Before Present [B.P.]). Two patterns emerged from my analysis.
The first was one where the overall abundance of obsidian at Edwards AFB did not decrease during the late Holocene, thus contradicting the conclusions made in the previous research. The second was one where the obsidian abundance shifted among the various regions of the installation. Yet these shifts are nowhere near as significant as the previously reported decline. Therefore, while the total amount of obsidian that entered the archaeological record at Edwards remained relatively stable from 1500 to 100 B.P., the amount of obsidian decreased in certain regions and increased in others.
Although not within the scope of my original intent, my research also identified two areas for future research. The first involves an apparent pattern where the number of archaeological sites from which obsidian was recovered gradually decreases during the middle-Holocene even as the overall quantity of obsidian remains essentially unchanged. The second relates to the lack of a well-established hydration rate formula for obsidian recovered from archaeological sites on Edwards AFB.
Ultimately, I concluded that the previous findings that obsidian declined during the late Holocene were affected by sampling bias and faulty data organization. Most archaeologists understand that poorly implemented sampling can lead to poorly derived findings and conclusions. What may not be as well understood is that a perfectly appropriate sample where the data are not organized well can also lead to flawed results and conclusions. It is hoped that this thesis will inform archaeologists not only about how the manner in which they organize their data can affect their interpretation of past human behavior, but also about additional research opportunities at Edwards AFB.
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Kraus, Michael A. C. Jr. "An Analysis of Lithic Production at the Late Nuragic Site of Sa Conca Sa Cresia,Sardinia, Italy." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490353705406955.
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Acuña, Julian Eduardo. "EARLY FORMATIVE PERIOD EXCHANGE, CRAFTING, AND SUBSISTENCE: AN ANALYSIS OF LA CONSENTIDA’S CHIPPED STONE ASSEMBLAGE." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/780.
Full textAbstract:
The primary concern of this thesis is to quantify and analyze the lithic (chipped stone) assemblage previously excavated by Hepp (2015) and the La Consentida Archaeological Project (LCAP) at the archaeological site of La Consentida in the lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico. The lithic assemblage is comprised of over 500 artifacts mainly of obsidian and chert. This research represents a study of all primary context lithic artifacts from La Consentida and focuses on obsidian, the material most used at the site. In the first part of this thesis I provide an analysis of all lithic artifacts of this primary context assemblage collected during the 2012 field season. Additionally, I present technological considerations regarding manufacturing techniques and subsequent issues regarding technique implementation. The second part of this thesis examines the distribution of lithics, in addition to other artifact classes (i.e. ceramics and ground stone), at the site and relates this to manufacturing techniques and inferences towards social organization. Results indicate that the people of La Consentida favored obsidian as a material for lithic manufacture. While other materials were used to produce chipped stone, obsidian dominates the assemblage. Further, these materials were used in expedient lithic reduction, which characterizes the majority of the assemblage. In addition to expedient flakes, specialized tools are also present, although minimal. Additionally, the way in which lithics, and more importantly obsidian artifacts, are distributed at the site indicates a purposeful designation for manufacture and use in specific locations. The artifacts I examine here are crucial to determining the economic practices of this Early Formative period (2000–1000 B.C.) site. Ascertaining how the lithic artifacts were distributed at the site will help expand current understandings of Early Formative period exchange, crafting, and subsistence practices. Furthermore, these results may have implications for developing our understanding of social organization at the earliest known settled village in coastal Oaxaca.
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Milic, M. "Obsidian exchange and societies in the Balkans and the Aegean from the late 7th to 5th millennia BC." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2016. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1477490/.
Full textAbstract:
Obsidian has long been recognised as a proxy for tracing long-distance interaction and exchange. In this thesis, I use these lithics to examine the directionality, intensity and nature of interactions of the Neolithic communities that lived in western Anatolia, the Aegean and the Balkans between the late 7th and the mid-5 th millennia BC. The study sites are located in the zones of circulation of material from three major obsidian sources: central Anatolian, Melian and Carpathian. More specifically, they are located in the peripheries of, and overlaps between, distributions zones in which obsidian was procured from long distance. The thesis investigates the modes and scales of interaction that are responsible for bringing obsidian to these sites and that can be measured through characterising obsidian consumption. The main approach is based on examination of interrelationships between raw material and technology in a number of assemblages. This is done by provenancing obsidian artefacts to sources by quantifying characteristic trace element patterns using data obtained with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer. Techno-typological analysis of artefacts within the chaîne opératoire framework is used to understand the forms in which obsidian was exchanged and consumed at settlements. The results show that the interactions in these regions are not highly uniform. The amount of obsidian found in these assemblages is sufficiently small that it could not be counted as a primary raw material, and so in many cases it could be related to irregular or occasional events rather than formal exchange networks or long-term relationships. The thesis also seeks to develop our understanding of the varying motivations and mechanisms underlying the consumption of obsidian from its role in day-to-day practices to its use as a symbolic representation of long-distance contacts.
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FELIPE, GREGORIO EMMANUEL. "MÁS ALLÁ DEL OBJETO: LA ARTESANÍA COMO FORMA DE VIDA." Tesis de Licenciatura, UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11799/106213.
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“MÁS ALLÁ DEL OBJETO: LA ARTESANÍA COMO FORMA DE VIDA” ES UNA PROPUESTA DE INVESTIGACIÓN DONDE SE DESCRIBE Y ANALIZA A LA ARTESANÍA DESDE LA PERSPECTIVA DE QUIEN LA PRODUCE. ES DECIR, EL PRESENTE TRABAJO SE ENFOCA EN EL ESTUDIO DE LA ARTESANÍA A PARTIR DE LA DESCRIPCIÓN QUE EL ARTESANO HACE SOBRE SU VIDA, LA CUAL REALIZA A TRAVÉS DE RELATOS, ANÉCDOTAS O RECUERDOS QUE DECIDIÓ COMPARTIR Y QUE, EN CONJUNTO, INTEGRAN SU HISTORIA COMO PRODUCTOR DE OBJETOS DE OBSIDIANA.
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von, Aulock Felix W. "Bubbles, Crystals and Cracks in Cooling Magma." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Geological Sciences, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7880.
Full textAbstract:
Ascent of magma results in drastic drops of pressure and temperature during eruption. Exsolution or dissolution of water changes the physical and chemical properties of the magma and can promote or inhibit the formation of bubbles, crystals and cracks. The microstructural relations between bubbles, crystals and cracks are important records of processes immediately before and during volcanic eruptions and during deposition of volcanic products. This is an integrated study of analyses, conceptual and numerical models of textural relations, and water distribution patterns of natural and experimentally altered samples.
Synchrotron Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and focal plane array detectors open new possibilities for the analysis of the spatial distribution of volatiles in volcanic rocks. New ways of sample preparation, measurements and data analyses helped to create water distribution maps with spatial resolutions that are close to the diffraction limit (~3 μm). In order to constrain eruptive processes and mechanisms of lava emplacement, I describe textural features in volcanic glasses including bubbles, flow bands of crystals or bubbles, spherulites and different generations of cracks. In experiments, bubbles were grown under isobaric conditions, at one or two cooling steps, their textures were described and volume changes tracked. Water distribution patterns in the glass around the textures were described and categorized, and where possible, diffusion modeling was used to infer temperature- and timescales of formation.
Rocks that are quenched within short periods of time after bubble growth preserve negative gradients of water toward the bubble margins. These gradients are generally not observed if the sample is kept at high temperatures for extended periods. If, however, a second step of cooling is added, water may be re-dissolved into the surrounding melt, which may lead to the complete resorption of bubbles. A conceptual of water redistribution during bubble resorption or collapse is used to interpret water heterogeneities across linear flow banding. These heterogeneities can be caused by shearing of bubbly magma, leading to collapse, degassing and resorption of water into the melt, creating a bubble free melt. Anhydrous spherulitic crystals grow both above and below the glass transition temperature (Tg) redistributiong water into the surrounding melt. Below Tg, cracks form and are successively hydrated by magmatic water from crystal growth or by meteoric water at temperatures far below Tg. The hydrated perlitic cracks in the samples of this study formed at elevated temperatures and are distinct from cracks formed at ambient temperatures without hydrated margins.
This study shows that the heterogeneous distribution of water in volcanic rocks preserves the complex and non-linear degassing and cooling history of eruptive products. The timescales and temperatures discovered here provide new ways to interpret textural observations, water distribution patterns and signals of shallow volcanic unrest.
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Ryan, Stacy Lynn, and Stacy Lynn Ryan. "Classic Period Projectile Point Design Variation in the Tucson Basin and San Pedro Valley, Arizona." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/625345.
Full textAbstract:
Similar projectile point types were used by groups living over a wide geographic region in central and southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries A.D. Substantial changes that occurred in southeastern Arizona at this time include population aggregation, the arrival of northern migrant groups, and an increase in obsidian use. An analysis focusing on two sub-regions, the Tucson Basin and the San Pedro Valley, was conducted to explore how social, technological and environmental factors influenced projectile point technology during the Classic period (A.D. 1150–1450) in southeastern Arizona. Projectile point metric and morphological attributes and obsidian source data were used for comparisons within both of the sub-regions. Despite differences in social relations, obsidian exchange networks, and access to large game, comparisons between sites in the northeastern and northwestern Tucson Basin did not reveal significant differences in projectile point types. However, a good deal of variation in base morphology is evident regardless of type among the Tucson Basin sites. Projectile points from Kayenta enclaves in the Lower San Pedro Valley are overwhelmingly made of obsidian, but do not possess significantly different attributes from those used by local groups. Notable variation was seen in the small sample from the Upper San Pedro Valley, which may be attributed to the lack of influence from groups living to the north. Overall, the similarities in projectile point forms correspond with the growth of social networks during the Classic period. Although the small size of these points restricts their usefulness for signaling group identity, variation in base morphology, serrated blade edges, and other small details may continue to inform on the learning traditions or cultural preferences of groups in the region. Future research should expand the study area to include the Upper Gila region of New Mexico, where groups were living close to the extensive Mule Creek obsidian source.
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Ozturk, Sema. "Use Of Solid Phase Extraction For Preconcentration Of Rare Earth Elements: Provenance Studies In Catalhoyuk Obsidians." Master's thesis, METU, 2003. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/1206655/index.pdf.
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Obsidian has been a center of interest both for geologists and archaeologists. Geologists have studied on physical and chemical properties of obsidian where archaeologists have worked on this material as a common artifact found in excavations.
In this study, obsidian samples from Çatalhö
yü
k excavations are examined using their rare earth element (REE) concentrations. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) have been used for this purpose. A mixture (4:1) of lithium metaborate and lithium tetraborate was used for fusion of samples. Because of the low concentrations of REEs, a preconcentration step is needed. Successful recovery results have been achieved with Amberlite IR-120. The developed method is tested using the standard reference material SARM-1.
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Giambastiani, Mark Alan. "Prehistoric obsidian use on the Volcanic Tableland and its implications for settlement patterns and technological change in the western Great Basin /." For electronic version search Digital dissertations database. Restricted to UC campuses. Access is free to UC campus dissertations, 2004. http://uclibs.org/PID/11984.
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Yacubic, Matthew Patrick. "The Chipped Stone Tool Industries of Blackman Eddy, Belize." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2006. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1283.pdf.
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Bausch, Ilona. "Jade, amber, obsidian and serpentinite : the social context of exotic stone exchange networks in central Japan during the Late Middle Jômon period." Thesis, Durham University, 2003. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4022/.
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This dissertation presents a holistic, contextual approach to long-distance exchange networks in Central Japan ca. 4000BP, by focussing on the conditions behind consumption, circulation and production of exotic materials-particularly jadeite and amber, derived from unique and spatially limited source areas: the Japan Sea Coast and the Pacific Coast, respectively. Analysis is based on a sample of 175 sites located in Nagano, Yamanashi, Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures. Analysis of consumption patterns shows that (compared to other artefact categories) stone ornaments, particularly jadeite and amber pendants, are far more frequently associated with 'intentional deposition', namely mortuary contexts. This indicates that a different value was ascribed to jadeite and amber pendants. However, other evidence of social differentiation during the Middle Jômon is absent. Statistical analysis of wider distribution patterns, focusing on the variability of site characteristics, supports the hypothesis that the presence of jadeite and/or amber pendants is strongly associated with 'core' settlements sites characterised by large house numbers, continuous habitation throughout the Middle Jômon period, and evidence of ritual practices. Contrary to some hypotheses, evidence for related distribution between jadeite pendants and serpentinite adzes (from the same production sites) was lacking, whereas association with relatively high quantities of obsidian (used for arrowheads) proved to be strong. It is suggested that exploitation and export of nearby high-quality obsidian resources contributed to the prosperity and longevity of Japan Alps settlements. In the greater Tokyo Plains area, settlements stable and influential enough to participate in the exchange networks are located at major rivers or coastal areas. Preliminary assessment of the conditions at production sites suggests different motives for part-time ornament production. It is hypothesised that inhabitants of the Japan Sea area-a hostile and isolated environment-may have engaged in fairly regular production and export of jadeite pendants and serpentinite ground adzes, in order to maintain interregional relations, possibly as a socio-economic safety net. Perhaps-in the absence of obvious environmental or subsistence constraints-Pacific Coast inhabitants produced amber pendants occasionally, exchanging them as hunting amulets between specialist hunters. However, further research involving subsistence patterns is essential for a deeper understanding of long-distance exchange network membership. Finally, it is suggested that instead of being individually-owned valuables, jadeite pendants (as 'esoteric', inalienable items) circulated among certain settlements in an interregional exchange network, regulating relationships and creating a social context for different types of exchange. Perhaps mortuary contexts indicate exchange relations with 'the other world'.
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Galvão, Tiago Dutra. "Caracterização química elementar e identificação de fontes de obsidianas utilizando fluorescência de raios X com equipamento portátil (PXRF)." Universidade Estadual de Londrina. Centro de Ciências Exatas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, 2010. http://www.bibliotecadigital.uel.br/document/?code=vtls000158014.
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O estudo de artefatos arqueológicos e do patrimônio cultural por meio de técnicas analíticas com equipamentos portáteis vem se tornando cada vez mais rotineiro nos dias atuais. Diversos tipos de equipamentos portáteis de EDXRF têm sido usados nas mais diferentes situações envolvendo analises in situ abrangendo uma extensa gama de geometrias, detectores, corrente e tensão aplicadas nos tubos de Raios X. Sendo assim, é de suma importância que a geometria dos sistemas portáteis utilizados neste estudo seja adequada para uma precisa obtenção e posterior análise dos dados. O presente trabalho tem como principal objetivo realizar a caracterização química elementar de 23 amostras de obsidianas sendo, 20 amostras do Equador, 2 amostras da Europa e 1 amostra do México, e posterior identificação das possíveis fontes atribuídas as amostras analisadas. Para isso, a sensibilidade analítica dos equipamentos portáteis foi otimizada por meio de um planejamento fatorial 24 para a determinação química elementar de objetos arqueológicos em laboratório e in situ, em especial obsidianas. Na otimização dos sistemas Portáteis de Fluorescência de Raios-X por Dispersão em Energia (EDXRF) as variáveis estudadas foram: 1 - Distância detector-amostra; 2 - Distância Tubo de Raios X-amostra; 3 - Corrente aplicada no Tubo de Raios X e 4 - Tensão aplicada no Tubo de Raios X. O sistema utilizado para as análises de elementos com número atômico superior a 26 (Fe) foi: PXRF-LFNA-02, o qual é composto por um tubo de raios-X (com alvo e filtro de Ag) com potência de 4W, e um detector Si-PIN modelo XR-100CR da Amptek Inc. com resolução de 221eV para a linha de 5.9keV (com janela de Be de espessura de 25μm e colimador de Ag). Para as análises de elementos abaixo do número atômico 26 o sistema usado foi o PXRF-LFNA-03, composto por um tubo de raios-X com alvo de W com potência de 4W e um detector de Si-PIN modelo XR-100CR da Ampetc Inc. com resolução de 149eV para a linha de 5.9keV (com janela de Be de espessura de 12,7μm e colimador de Ag). Foi possível verificar a presença dos principais elementos nas diferentes amostras de obsidianas analisadas, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr e Nb. Todos esses elementos foram quantificados neste trabalho por meio de curvas de calibração, as quais foram avaliadas sistematicamente. De um modo geral, as curvas de calibração se mostraram significativas, considerando a Análise de Variância (ANOVA), para os intervalos de valores de concentrações estabelecidos pelas amostras de referencia. Os resultados obtidos para as concentrações dos elementos K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr e Nb estão acima de seus limites de detecção (LD) e de quantificação (LQ), possuindo assim significância estatística. Os resultados das concentrações de alguns elementos para determinadas amostras foram comparadas com resultados obtidos através de outras técnicas. A comparação mostrou que os valores de concentração obtidos por meio dos equipamentos portáteis de Fluorescência de Raios X empregados neste trabalho são significativos e podem ser comparados sem maiores problemas com os valores obtidos por técnicas mais robustas como por exemplo, INAA, ICP-MS e PIXE. A otimização dos equipamentos PXRF-LFNA-02 e PXRF-LFNA-03 foi essencial para a qualidade dos resultados de concentração obtidos, pois foi possível comparar os dados obtidos com o sistema PXRF-LFNA-02 otimizado e não otimizado e constatar um diferença significativa nos valores. Através da análise de agrupamento utilizando-se os valores de concentrações obtidos, foi possível constatar que são formados três principais grupos de amostras, um formado pelas amostras CTX1, CTX2, CTX3 e CTX4 (da região de Cotopaxi), outro formado pelas amostras QSC1 e QSC2 (Quiscatola) e um grupo grande formado por todas as outras amostras. A amostra do México possui um fator discriminante favorável, que é a ausência do elemento Sr, o que acaba por ser o elemento chave dessa amostra em estudos de proveniência e identificação de fontes de obsidianas.The study of archaeological and cultural heritage artifacts by means of analytical techniques with portable equipment has become increasingly routinely today. Various types of portable EDXRF equipment have been used in many different situations involving in situ analysis covering a wide range of geometries, detectors, current and voltage applied in the X-ray tubes. Therefore, it's extremely important that the geometry of the portable systems used in these studies be suitable for accurate acquisition and subsequent analysis of data. This study's main objective was to characterize the elemental chemistry of 23 samples of obsidian, 20 samples from Ecuador, 2 samples from Europe and 1 sample from Mexico and further identification of possible sources attributed to the samples. For this, the analytical sensitivity of mobile devices has been optimized using a factorial design 24 to determine elemental chemistry of archaeological objects in the laboratory and in situ, especially obsidian. For the optimization of the Portable Fluorescent X-ray Energy Dispersion (EDXRF) Systems, the variables studied were: 1 - Distance between sample and detector, 2 - Distance between sample and X-ray tube, 3 - Current applied at X-ray tube and 4 - Voltage applied at X-ray tube. The PXRF-LFNA-02 system, used for analysis of elements with atomic number greater than 26, is composed of a 4W X-ray tube (with Ag filter and target) and a Si-PIN detector model XR-100CR Ampetc Inc., which has a resolution of 221eV for the 5.9keV line (25μm-thickness Be window and Ag collimator). For the analysis of elements with atomic number lower than 26. The system used was PXRF-LFNA-03, composed of a 4W X-ray tube with W target and a Si-PIN detector, model XR - 100CR of Ampetc Inc., which has a resolution of 149eV for the 5.9keV line (12.7μm-thickness Be window and Ag collimator). It was possible to verify the presence of the main elements in the different samples analyzed obsidian, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb. All these elements were quantified in this work by the calibration curves, which were systematically evaluated. In general, the calibration curves were statistically significant, given the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the ranges of concentrations set by the reference samples. The results for concentrations of K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb are above their limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LQ), thus having statistical significance. The results of the concentrations of certain elements for certain samples were compared with results obtained by other techniques. The comparison showed that the concentration values obtained by means of portable equipment for X-ray Fluorescence in this work are significant and can be compared without any problems with the values obtained with more robust techniques such as INAA, ICP-MS and PIXE. The optimization of device PXRF-LFNA-02 and PXRF-LFNA-03 was essential for the quality of concentration results obtained, it was possible to compare data obtained with the system PXRF-LFNA-02 optimized and not optimized and observed a significant difference values. Through cluster analysis using the concentration obtained values, it was established that are formed three main groups of samples, one formed by samples CTX1, CTX2, CTX3 and CTX4 (the region of Cotopaxi), another formed by the samples QSC1 and QSC2 (Quiscatola) and a large group formed by all the other samples. The sample of Mexico has a positive discriminant factor, which is the absence of the element Sr, which turns out to be the key element of the sample in studies of provenance and identifying sources of obsidian.
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Robin, Anne-Kyria. "Identification, caractérisation et mise en place des gisements d'obsidienne de quatre complexes volcaniques en Anatolie orientale, dans le cadre des études de provenance au Proche-Orient." Thesis, Paris 1, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017PA01H123/document.
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Les études de provenance sur l’obsidienne se développent depuis 1964 quand ont été publiés les premiers travaux de Renfrew et Cann. Ces deux chercheurs ont démontré que chaque complexe volcanique possède une signature chimique propre permettant l’attribution d’artefacts archéologiques en obsidienne à un complexe volcanique présentant la même signature. Cette attribution fondée sur la géochimie permet d’envisager des routes de diffusion de l’obsidienne soulignant les contacts et les déplacements de populations préhistoriques. De nombreux sites archéologiques situés au Proche-Orient comportent en effet des assemblages lithiques présentant des artefacts en obsidienne. La synthèse dirigée par Cauvin et al., en 1998 suggère, pour le Proche-Orient, deux grandes régions d’approvisionnement en obsidienne : l’Anatolie centrale et l’Anatolie orientale. Or, pour des raisons liées à l’histoire intérieure de la Turquie dans les années 1980-1990, peu de données de terrain ont pu être rassemblées sur les sources d’Anatolie orientale jusqu’à ces toutes dernières années. Pourtant, les comparaisons entre affleurements repérés et prélevés avant les années 1980 montrent déjà clairement l’importance de la région pour les études de provenance d’artefacts collectés lors de fouilles de sites archéologiques en Anatolie orientale (ex : Çayönü, Körtik Tepe etc.), en Syrie (Tell Brak, Tell Zeidan, Khazna) et en Irak (Tell Arpachiyah, Tell Hamoukar, Um Dabaghiyah). Cette thèse, réalisée dans le cadre de l’ANR GeObs dirigée par D. Mouralis (Univ. Rouen, IDEES) en association avec C. Kuzucuoğlu (Univ. Paris 1, LGP) et L. Astruc (Univ. Paris 1, ArScan) et E. Akköprü (Univ. Van, Turquie), se concentre sur quatre régions volcaniques d’Anatolie orientale : le Meydan-Gürgürbaba, le Nemrut, et les massifs de dômes de Solhan et Alatepe. Ce travail de recherche a exploré : 1) l’identification et la caractérisation de plusieurs gisements (= « sources ») d’obsidienne, dont certains inconnus jusque-là ; 2) la discrimination de ces affleurements en fonction de leurs caractéristiques physiques et chimiques ; 3) la reconstitution de leur mode de mise en place lorsque cela a été rendu possible. Notre travail, basé sur l’importance incontournable de la connaissance experte du terrain, constitue une méthode novatrice dans les études de provenanceObsidian sourcing began in 1964 with studies by Renfrew and Cann. These authors demonstrated that one given volcano there is only one chemical signature. Based on this principle, it is possible to attribute one archaeological artefact to one volcano. This attribution allows then to develop studies on the contacts/exchanges/movements between prehistorical populations which are a key to understand past socio-cultural contexts from the Paleolithic to the Chalcolithic. Lithic assemblages in archaeological sites in the Near East contain indeed obsidian artefacts. As there is no volcano emplaced south of the Eastern Anatolian highlands, the nearest volcanic areas with obsidian outcrops that would attract near-eastern populations are located in Central and Eastern Anatolia (Cauvin et al., 1998). Taking advantage of the opening of Eastern Anatolia to field researches after 2000, and aiming at collecting scientific field data about obsidian sources in that region (especially on the volcano/outcrop scales geological and geomorphological contexts), the GéObs Project has obtained a 3 to 4 years ANR support for the study of the volcanic regions of Eastern Anatolia. Among these regions, four are concerned by our study: the Meydan-Gürgürbaba, Nemrut, Solhan and Alatepe regions. The ANR project GéObs, led by D. Mouralis (Rouen Univ./IDEES), associated with C. Kuzucuoglu (Paris 1 Univ./LGP) and L. Astruc (Paris 1 Univ./ArScan) enhances: 1) the identification of obsidian outcrops (some of which had not yet been identified), 2) the discrimination of these outcrops according to their characteristics (accessibility and types), 3) the characterization of obsidian glass (micro facies; geochemistry; mineralogy), and consecutive reconstruction of their emplacement modes. This research, based on the necessary completeness of data collection in the field, demonstrates the importance of such a new approach in the domain of “obsidian sourcing” researches
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Carboni, Antonietta. "Reconnaissance des techniques de débitage de l'obsidienne : regard sur la Sardaigne." Thesis, Paris 10, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017PA100178.
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En Méditerranée occidentale, l’obsidienne a été dès le début du Néolithique une matière première recherchée en raison de sa grande aptitude à la taille. Originaire d’îles de la zone tyrrhénienne (Sardaigne, Pantelleria, Lipari et Palmarola) elle a circulé dans cette région et elle est considérée comme un important marqueur culturel de diverses formes de communication et d'échanges entre les différentes communautés de la Préhistoire récente. En ce qui concerne la Sardaigne, nous disposons aujourd'hui d'une cartographie des dépôts primaires et secondaires de quatre types d’obsidienne du Monte Arci et il est donc possible de mieux comprendre les systèmes d'approvisionnement de cette matière première dans l'Île et dans le secteur nord-tyrrhénien de la Méditerranée occidentale, zone de diffusion majeure de l'obsidienne sarde. En raison de ses propriétés physiques, l'obsidienne est une roche très apte à la taille et qui enregistre de manière optimale les stigmates de taille. L’objectif de la thèse a consisté essentiellement en l’'analyse d'un référentiel expérimental en obsidienne réalisé par différents tailleurs avec différentes techniques (percussion directe, indirecte et pression). Cette étude a permis de reconnaitre les caractères morphométriques et les stigmates techniques, essentiels pour la discrimination des techniques de débitage, surtout quand elles donnent de pièces ambigües, compatibles avec plusieurs techniques. Elle a aussi permis de comprendre les différences avec le débitage sur silex, à partir de données connues dans la littérature. Sur cette base nous avons fait un premier essai de diagnose technique sur une série en obsidienne (sarde) d'un site du Néolithique sarde ayant livré un mobilier très abondant, avec plusieurs chaînes opératoires et techniques mises en œuvreIn the western Mediterranean, obsidian is a demanded raw-material since the earliest phases of the Neolithic due to its good knappability. Its main sources are located in the tyrrhenian islands (Sardinia, Pantelleria, Lipari, and Palmarola); obsidian goods have been circulating in the region and they are considered a significant cultural marker of different forms of exchange and interaction networks between prehistoric groups. For what concerns Sardinia, nowadays four different types of both primary and secondary obsidian deposits from Monte Arci are known. It is therefore possible to better understand the exploitation system of this raw-material in Sardinia and in the north-tyrrhenian sector of the western Mediterranean, which roughly corresponds to its main area of diffusion. Due to its physical characteristics, obsidian is extremely suitable for knapping and it bears a detailed record of the knapping stigmata. b The heart of this thesis consists of the analysis of an obsidian reference collection made by different knappers with different techniques(direct, indirect percussion, and pressure). As result, it has been possible to identify the morphometric characters and the technical stigmata associated with each one of the considered techniques. This represents an essential information in order to recognize the different techniques of obsidian débitage used in Prehistory, especially because resulting blanks are often characterize by ambiguous traits, compatible with different techniques. In addition, this study has allowed to understand the differences between obsidian and chert knapping, thanks to the integration of the data available from literature. On these basis, a first technological analysis of an archaeological obsidian collection from Sardinia has been carried out, choosing a Neolithic site (Coddu is Abionis, Terralba, Or) characterized by an abundant assemblage and a diversity of chaînes opératoires and techniques
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Bordas, Mariano. "Possibilites offertes par l'utilisation simultanee des methodes pixe (particle induces x-ray emission) et pige (particle induced gamma-ray emission) en analyse elementaire." Université Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg) (1971-2008), 1988. http://www.theses.fr/1988STR13009.
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Vinet, Alice. "Interactions régionales sur le plateau anatolien au Chalcolithique ancien : approche techno-fonctionnelle de l'industrie en obsidienne de Catalhöyük-Ouest et Teoeçik Ciftlik." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Paris 1, 2022. http://www.theses.fr/2022PA01H043.
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A partir de 6500 BC, au Néolithique final, de profondes mutations ont lieu en Anatolie centrale qui affectent plusieurs aspects de la vie quotidienne des communautés locales. On observe des changements dans les pratiques funéraires, les productions artistiques, la mobilité humaine et pastorale, les relations entre habitants, qui démontrent une compétition sociale accrue. L’industrie lithique ne semble pas impactée par ces bouleversements. L’Anatolie centrale, avec ses sources d’obsidienne utilisées à large échelle, est une région clé pour interroger le développement des communautés sous l’angle de l’exploitation des matières premières, de l’économie et des techniques. L’objectif de ce présent travail était de caractériser les interactions interrégionales sur le plateau anatolien, entre la plaine de Konya et la Cappadoce, par l’analyse techno-fonctionnelle de deux assemblages lithiques. Nous avons ainsi restitué les comportements liés à la production, l’utilisation et l’abandon de l’industrie en obsidienne de Tepecik Çiftlik (Cappadoce) et Çatalhöyük-ouest (plaine de Konya). Les contacts observés entre la plaine de Konya et la Cappadoce autour de 6000 BC ne semblent pas avoir d’impact sur la production, l’utilisation ou l’abandon de l’industrie lithique. Il semble exister des faciès culturels régionaux entre 6000 et 5500 BC en Anatolie centraleBeginning in the Late Neolithic (ca. 6500 BC), profound changes took place in central Anatolia that affected numerous aspects of daily life among local communities. These changes demonstrate increased social competition as expressed in funeral practices, craft production, human and pastoral mobility, and social interactions. The lithic industry, however, does not seem to be impacted by these upheavals. Central Anatolia, with its widely distributed obsidian sources, is a key region for investigating community development through the lenses of raw material exploitation, economy, and technology. The objective of this dissertation was to characterize interregional interaction on the Anatolian plateau, specifically between the Konya Plain and Cappadocia, through the techno-functional analysis of two lithic assemblages. We have thus retraced the behaviours related to the production, use, and abandonment of the obsidian industry of Tepecik Çiftlik (Cappadocia) and Çatalhöyük West (Konya plain). Circa 6000 BC, contact between the Konya Plain and Cappadocia does not seem to have impacted the lithic industry of these two regions. Regional cultural facies seem to exist between 6000 and 5500 BC in central Anatolia
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Douze, Katja. "Le Early Middle Stone Age d'Éthiopie et les changements techno-économiques à la période de l'émergence des premiers Homo sapiens." Thesis, Bordeaux 1, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012BOR14701/document.
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Ce travail de thèse présente une nouvelle lecture technologique des industries lithiques qui documentele Middle Stone Age de la fin du Pléistocène moyen en Ethiopie. Il s’appuie principalement sur une ré-analyse detrois sites majeurs de Gademotta et Kulkuletti (Région du lac Ziway, Vallée du Rift éthiopien), initialement fouillés par F. Wendorf, R. Schild et collaborateurs en 1972. Le croisement des donnés technologiques sur cesindustries à l’échelle locale permet d’aborder la question des dynamiques évolutives qui accompagnenl’émergence des premiers Homo sapiens dans la Corne de l’Afrique. Alors que les traditions techniques montrent une forte stabilité au cours du temps, notamment parl’emploi majoritaire d’une grande diversité de méthodes Levallois de débitage pour la production d’éclats et delames, se dégagent des caractéristiques techniques spécifiques qui se révèlent être des marqueurs régionaux echronologiques. Un changement majeur s’opère sur le plan conceptuel et se caractérise par une augmentation dela prédétermination des morphologies d’outils au débitage, notamment des outils phares du Middle Stone Age les outils à bords convergents (pointes). Ce changement s’accompagne d’une diminution du recours aufaçonnage et du développement de méthodes Levallois dévolues à la production d’éclats triangulaires. Encorollaire, le recours au procédé technique du coup de tranchet latéral, fréquemment appliqué aux outilstriangulaires façonnés dans les phases anciennes, diminue puis disparait au profit d’outils aux bords peutransformés. L’étude met également en exergue la maîtrise de la production laminaire Levallois, dès les phasesanciennes, antérieures à 280 ka, ainsi que la production ubiquiste de petits éclats laissés brut comme un objectifdu débitage Levallois et non Levallois à part entière. Cette étude renseigne les changements comportementaux à l’œuvre aux lendemains de l’Acheuléen, àune période charnière de l’évolution humaine, qui demeure peu documentée. Cette phase initiale du MiddleStone Age est un jalon essentiel dans la Préhistoire africaine qui annonce les phases plus récentes de la périodedurant lesquelles se multiplient les manifestations de comportements symboliques dans certaines parties ducontinent, ainsi que l’emprunt de routes de sortie d’Afrique par l’Homo sapiensThis thesis presents new technological insights concerning Middle Stone Age (MSA) lithic industries from the end of the Middle Pleistocene in Ethiopia. Based mainly on a reanalysis of three major occupation sites from Gademotta and Kulkuletti (Lake Ziway Area, Main Ethiopian Rift Valley) initially excavated by F. Wendorf, R. Schild and collaborators in 1972, a local-scale comparison of the technology from these three nearby sites enables the evolutionary dynamics accompanying the emergence of Homo sapiens in the Horn of Africa to be discussed. While most of the technical traditions are stable through time, particularly the use of a broad diversity of Levallois methods for producing flakes and blades, several technical idiosyncrasies are also evident and can be considered strong regional and chronological markers. A major conceptual change is characterised by an increase in the predetermination of tool shape during the core reduction process, especially for the major MSA tool group – tools with convergent edges (points). This shift is accompanied by a decrease in the use of shaping techniques (façonnage) and the development of Levallois methods for the production of triangular flakes. The use of the lateral tranchet blow technique, frequently applied to triangular tools during the oldest phases, also decreases and then disappears with tools bearing little transformation becoming dominant. Furthermore, this analysis documents well-developed technical skills evident in earliest occurrences (before 280 ka) of Levallois blade production coexisting with the ubiquitous and independent Levallois and non Levallois production of small flakes. This study highlights behavioural changes evident during the still poorly documented post-Acheulean period, a turning point in human evolution. These initial stages of the Middle Stone Age are crucial for African prehistory as they set the stage for subsequent periods which see not only an increase in symbolic behaviours, but the expansion of Homo sapiens out of Africa