A Theory of Fire-cracked Rock (original) (raw)
Related papers
Thermally Modified Rock: The Experimental Study of "Fire-Cracked" Byproducts of Hot Rock Cooking
North American Archaeologist, 2014
Despite its ubiquity in residential middens at many North American archaeological sites, thermally modified rock (TMR) is among the least studied elements of the archaeological record. TMR assemblages, however, may provide key insights into routine cooking practices, patterns of refuse disposal, and midden formation processes. This article outlines the results of experimental research aimed at understanding the conditions by which TMR assemblages were created in residential settlements in the Pacific Northwest. We present baseline data addressing the thermal properties of the hearth, the rate and circumstances of cobble fracturing, the extent to which different kinds of cobbles break when exposed to heat for varying durations, and the effectiveness of hot cobbles at achieving cooking temperatures.
2014
"Despite its ubiquity in residential middens at many North American archaeological sites, thermally modified rock (TMR) is among the least studied elements of the archaeological record. TMR assemblages, however, may provide key insights into routine cooking practices, patterns of refuse disposal, and midden formation processes. This article outlines the results of experimental research aimed at understanding the conditions by which TMR assemblages were created in residential settlements in the Pacific Northwest. We present baseline data addressing the thermal properties of the hearth, the rate and circumstances of cobble fracturing, the extent to which different kinds of cobbles break when exposed to heat for varying durations, and the effectiveness of hot cobbles at achieving cooking temperatures." An earlier build of this article took the form of a collaborative research poster presented at the 2013 Society for American Archaeology annual meetings in Honolulu, Hawaii (see linked poster, below). The article (above) and poster (linked on my Academia.edu page) are complementary, although the NAA article contains more details concerning the experiments and outcomes. As such, the article (above) is likely the most appropriate for citation purposes, although feel free to cite the poster as well. Keywords: thermally modified rock, fire-cracked rock, fire-altered rock, hot rock cooking, experimental archaeology, TMR, FCR, FAR, Pacific Northwest Coast, Welqamex
Archaeology in Washington, 1999
The seleclioll and management of rock for roasling ovens, hearlhs, and sweat lodges were nOltrivial concerns/or prehistoric households. The results of replicating a camas roasting oven are used to address lhe use-life and use-stages offire-cracked rock. We conclude tha £ th e industry associated with the procurement and management of fire-cracked rock in the Pacific Northwest required significant quantities o/labor and expertise 10 nUlIIage the raw malerials and camas roasting byprodllcis. Recording lhe technological perj017110nCe characteristics a/fire-cracked rocks, including composition. size, and durability, is a necessary step to interprel and compare fire-c racked rock features 01 archaeological sites.
Use-Alteration Analysis of Fire-Cracked Rocks
American Antiquity, 2018
Although it is now commonplace for archaeologists to study use-alteration patterns on ceramics, the same cannot be said of one of the most ubiquitous classes of hunter-gatherer artifacts, fire-cracked rocks (FCR). It can be shown, however, that many of the same methods and theories applied to the study of cooking ceramics are also relevant to the investigation of rocks used as heating elements. Because use alteration analyses of FCR are so scarce, I describe a range of attributes with the goal of helping researchers identify use alterations (e.g., sooting, reddening, various fracturing patterns) on lithic artifacts from sites worldwide and evaluate their potential function in various cultural practices. These attributes are also outlined in order to create a standardized terminology for describing FCR use-alteration patterns. I discuss my analysis of FCR from three Late Archaic sites (Duck Lake, 913, and 914) on Grand Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, followed by an interpretation of their cooking contexts, as a case study. The results indicate great intersite variability among FCR characteristics, cooking methods, and cooking facilities (earth oven, stone boiling, and rock griddle). This use alteration analysis can be applied in archaeological contexts worldwide where similar materials are recovered.
’Fire’ Cracked Rocks – An Archaeological Experiment
Corviniana. Acta Musei Corvinensis, 2007
This paper reviews the findings of an experiment conducted to determine how rocks crack under different circumstances. High temperatures and rapid cooling cause rocks to crack and contribute to the way in which they will crack. The way in which a rock cracks is also determined by the material which it is made of. Rocks heated to ca. 540°C, whether gradually or quickly, will crack the majority of the time. Those heated to ca. 315°C or by boiling, will tend not to crack. Rocks heated to ca. 540°C and then cooled quickly will crack considerably, whereas those rocks cooled gradually will tend not to crack. The material which a rock is composed of will cause a rock to crack in a certain manner. The source of a rock will not affect how it cracks. By knowing how a rock cracks under different conditions, one can look at a rock found on a site and recorded as a “Fire Cracked Rock” and determine what really caused the rock to crack and thereby learn more about the activities and life ways of the people who occupied the site.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 23 (2019) 646–661, 2019
Short-lived occupation sites are the most common component of the archaeological record at the regional scale level, but are often underrepresented due to their low amount of cultural material and greater visibility of larger sites. Small ephemeral sites can however provide unique information regarding land and resource use, travel routes, harvesting practices, group size, food processing, ceremonial activities and chronology of occupation, especially in pre-urban societies. One of the most prominent proxies for short-lived occupation is combustion features, defined as accumulations of ash, burnt bones, heat-altered sediments and stone tools. These features provide insights into behavioral evolution, food consumption, settlement patterns and foraging strategies, and the preservation of the archaeological record. To obtain this information, a microscopic level of investigation is required in order to address the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of combustion features. We deployed such kind of microarchaeological approach to the study of combustion features at the DjRr-4 rock shelter along the Indian River, British Columbia, settled by Coast Salish peoples at least 1300 years ago. Using a combination of micromorphology of sediments, phytolith and diatom analysis, paleobotany, zooarchaeology, lithic analysis and radiocarbon dating, we were able to show that the shelter was used intermittently over short time spans as a base camp for hunting, likely as a station along a trail that connected the coast to interior regions. Our results are consistent with chronological data for the region and with the adoption of bow and arrow by Coast Salish peoples.
Fire-Cracked Rock Analysis: A Guide to Function, Cooking and Interpretation
Springer, 2024
The book is the first-ever manual for the study of fire-cracked rock (FCR), one of the most ubiquitous yet understudied classes of artifacts worldwide. The book is part of Springer’s series Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique and focuses on the ways practicing archaeologists can infer function from their FCR collections, spanning from paleoanthropology and the early adoption of fire through to present archaeology. The book provides a history and background of fire-cracked rock and leads the reader through the entire process of identifying, categorizing, and analyzing FCR and related features, from the first steps through to interpretations of function, use alteration, fracturing patterns, experimentation, ethnographic/ethnohistoric uses, and so forth. In addition to exploring the fundamentals of FCR analysis, the book also covers new and cutting-edge techniques. It targets a wide global audience and serves as a laboratory and field guide for students and professionals, packed with illustrations and photographs in order to familiarize readers with the identification and analysis process while also providing a theoretical and methodological guide for advanced academic and cultural resource management research.