2023 - Investigating the preservation of phytoliths on knapped stone tools: an Experimental Archaeology pilot project (original) (raw)

Phytoliths constitute microscopic plant biominerals and their analysis on artefacts contributes significantly to the identification and study of plants in the archaeological record. An experimental knapped-stone assemblage was produced as part of the SeaROOTS, an interdisciplinary research project funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) under the “3rd Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to support Post-Doctoral Researchers” (Project Number: 7186). Within this project, a pilot study was conducted to investigate the preservation of phytoliths on a sample of experimentally produced stone tools used for cutting, chopping and pounding plant materials. This research integrates Experimental Archaeology with Phytolith Analysis with the aim to develop a methodology that optimises the ability to identify phytoliths preserved on knapped stone artefacts. To achieve this, two intermediate objectives are implemented: (a) the enrichment of the (archaeo)botanical reference record with phytoliths from modern plants and their association with specific experimentally produced stone artefacts, and (b) the investigation of the plant-related human activity during the Stone Age through the application of Phytolith Analysis on archaeological lithic finds from West Greece. Herein, the methodological considerations, the experimentally produced stone tools - relating to tool usage on selected plants, and the preliminary results of this pilot study are presented. Future systematic work, besides other tasks (e.g. use-wear distribution and micro-wear analysis across the active tools surfaces) will investigate the effects of firing on phytolith preservation and apply the methodology produced on archaeological assemblages from West Greece and other Mediterranean areas to gain more information regarding their natural and cultural contexts. Although Phytolith Analysis on knapped stone artefacts is a relatively recent analytical procedure, it is hoped that its integration with more established approaches (e.g. OLM, SEM/EDS, XRF, XRD) will contribute to a wider understanding of the use of lithic technology, and of matters related to the preservation of plant micro-remains on archaeological knapped stone assemblages depending on the biogeochemical burial environment.