Use Wear Analysis Research Papers (original) (raw)

Use-wear and residue analyses have come to play a fundamental role in archaeological enquiries into the cultural biographies of past artefacts. Deployed either separately or in conjunction with one another, they have been turned by three... more

Use-wear and residue analyses have come to play a fundamental role in archaeological enquiries into the cultural biographies of past artefacts. Deployed either separately or in conjunction with one another, they have been turned by three generations of researchers into core scientific methods for understanding the behavioural and social interactions of prehistoric communities. In the last few years, a concerted effort has been made to improve and standardise research procedures in the two disciplines through explicit replication strategies, rigorous analytical and experimental protocols, and blind testing. This has ensured a degree of disciplinary maturity that, when successfully contextualised, can be harnessed to reach some of the highest dangling fruits of the interpretative tree and develop new explanatory models for past human behaviour. The session invites specialists in world prehistory to present their inter-and cross-disciplinary research into primate and human archaeology from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Metal Ages. It aims to explore socially contextualised problems, in which use-wear and residue analysis (on any materials and artefacts) are deployed as part of a wider range of integrated research approaches. The papers will discuss broad questions concerning the human past including the making of the mind in both primate and human evolution, technological changes and technological choices, interaction between and within communities of practice, skill, and acculturation (or lack thereof) following technology transfer. A parallel poster session will host contributions with narrower and more method-oriented foci.

Metalwork wear-analysis has now been practised for over two decades. In this paper the authors present the achievements of the discipline and critically assess the methodologies currently applied by practitioners. Whilst the achievements... more

Metalwork wear-analysis has now been practised for over two decades. In this paper the authors present the achievements of the discipline and critically assess the methodologies currently applied by practitioners. Whilst the achievements and contributions of the discipline to the wider study of archaeology, and to European prehistory in particular, are numerous, it is argued that an increase in scientific rigour
and a focus on addressing limitations and open problems is required if metalwork wear-analysis is to flourish as a scientific field of research. Experimentation with higher magnifications and novel microscopic techniques is encouraged, alongside more standardised and explicit analytical protocols for
analysis. More details and targeted descriptions of analytical protocols for experimental work are required: experiments must be designed to answer specific questions and address lacunas in knowledge. While at present the majority of practitioners focus their analyses on copper alloys from European prehistory, and most specifically from the Bronze Age, the authors suggest that a far wider range of materials are suitable for analysis including copper alloys from the Americas and iron alloys from historic and ethnographic collections. Expanding the range of materials studied would open the field up and give it far wider relevance to archaeology and material culture studies. Finally, it is argued that the discipline will advance more quickly if practitioners share their reference collections and databases of experimental marks digitally. The authors suggest that the creation of digital reference collections, open to all, would provide metalwork analysts with the opportunity to lead related fields of research such as lithic
microwear and residue analysis, where individual reference collections are the norm and cross-comparability of analysis is therefore hindered.

During the Late Archaic to Early Woodland transition, caches of blue gray chert bifaces were deposited throughout the Midwest, often in association with burials. The types of analyses that can be conducted on these bifaces are restricted... more

During the Late Archaic to Early Woodland transition, caches of blue gray chert bifaces were deposited throughout the Midwest, often in association with burials. The types of analyses that can be conducted on these bifaces are restricted by NAGPRA. Specifically, cleaning of artifacts deemed necessary to conduct high power use-wear analysis is prohibited. An experiment testing three progressive levels of washing demonstrates that Wyandotte chert is fine-grained enough to display surface polishes from use even without intensive washing. The positive results of this experiment are then applied a sample of bifaces from the Riverside site in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Several lithic artefacts that belong to hunter-gatherer's occupations from Quebrada Seca 3 site during the Middle Holocene (Southern Puna of Argentina, between ca. 5000-4700 years BP), are analyzed (Southern Puna of Argentina, between ca.... more

Several lithic artefacts that belong to hunter-gatherer's occupations from Quebrada Seca 3 site during the Middle Holocene (Southern Puna of Argentina, between ca. 5000-4700 years BP), are analyzed (Southern Puna of Argentina, between ca. 5000-4700 years BP), are analyzed. These stone tools have been defined as stemmed projectile points whose blades were intensively maintained resulting in asymmetric shapes. Besides, it was proposed the use of these artefacts as knives because their morphology when the artefacts were discarded. Trying to establish a more complete version of the life history of these artefacts, from projectile points to knives, as it is suggested by the techno-typological analysis, we developed a research design that includes several analytical microscopic and compositional techniques to identify the uses that were preserved over time. Information obtained through microwear use traces analysis and the study of microscopic residues (microfossils and chemical residues) in blades and stems, indicates that these artefact were used in several functions. Tools were last used as knives in generalized tasks, for plant and animal processing. The plant material processed includes roasted or dehydrated tuberous/root plants for food. The processing of animal material (skin, flesh and/or bone) was also developed with the artifacts as knives. As projectile points were used for penetration of animal preys and then were recycled as knives. Besides, evidences for hafting (foreshafts or handles) and adhesives use, were found. The use and life history results obtained from analyses of microfossil and other residue, microwear use traces, chemical and techno-typological, were mutually consistent. This contributed to the discussion of artifact’s life history and resource processing by the Middle holocene hunter-gatherers of South Central Andes.

Several types of smoking pipes have been manufactured and used by native North American peoples throughout later prehistoric and historic times. Although substantial information exists on the styles of these pipes, very little is known... more

Several types of smoking pipes have been manufactured and used by native North American peoples throughout later prehistoric and historic times. Although substantial information exists on the styles of these pipes, very little is known about their methods of manufacture. This paper examines one particular style of pipe, the Florence Pipe, associated with the proto-Wichita Great Bend peoples. A block of Minnesota pipestone was manufactured into a pipe using stone tools replicated after those found in the Robb Collection from central Kansas. This archaeological assemblage was proposed to have been used in the manufacture of Florence pipes, which was confirmed through use-wear analysis of the collection. The steps and labor requirements for the creation of Florence pipes are illuminated in this paper in a way that cannot be accomplished through archaeological analysis and use-wear analysis alone.

During the Late Archaic to Early Woodland transition, caches of blue gray chert bifaces were deposited throughout the Midwest, often in association with burials. Their utility between manufacture and deposition has long been the subject... more

During the Late Archaic to Early Woodland transition, caches of blue gray chert bifaces were deposited throughout the Midwest, often in association with burials. Their utility between manufacture and deposition has long been the subject of speculation, but never compellingly demonstrated. Comprehensive use-wear analysis of these bifaces demonstrates that they were, in fact, used prior to deposition. Unfortunately, use-wear data in isolation tells us little about the actual role these bifaces played in the lives of the people who produced, used, and deposited them. Relatively few of these caches have been recovered as a result of systematic excavation, so other datasets that can be used to contextualize use-wear data are scarce. The Riverside Site is a Red Ochre affiliated burial and habitation site in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, excavated by the University of Michigan, the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Oshkosh Public Museum. Excavations in the 1950s and 60s uncovered a total of 83 bipointed bifaces. Use-wear analysis of a sample of these bifaces allows us to expand the conversation about their significance to include not only information about their depositional context but their active social and economic context as well.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the storing behaviours in the South of France in the late Neolithic period, in plateaus and lowland structures. Plateaus are limestone formations that present multiple natural cavities for the... more

The purpose of this article is to investigate the storing behaviours in the South of France in the late Neolithic period, in plateaus and lowland structures. Plateaus are limestone formations that present multiple natural cavities for the Neolithic people to use, but in return, have no surface water to offer. The subterranean nature of water has profoundly shaped the storing behaviours in the plateaus as it is mostly turned towards water collection and storage. In the lowland area however, substructures were dug directly in the soil and ceramics were used aswell as possible organic containers. This paper aims to address the similarities and differences between the usage of caves and cellars. The application of a use-wear analysis on ceramic vessels brings new insights on past food practices.

日本考古学協会 第85回総会研究発表（口頭発表）
2019.5.19（日） 駒澤大学1号館203教室

Trois fenêtres furent ouvertes lors de la fouille couvrant une surface totale de 13 215 m². La fenêtre 1, concentrait la majeure partie des structures archéologiques (quelques unes attribuables au Néolithique récent d’après l’étude... more

Trois fenêtres furent ouvertes lors de la fouille couvrant une surface totale de 13 215 m². La fenêtre 1, concentrait la majeure partie des structures archéologiques (quelques unes attribuables au Néolithique récent d’après l’étude céramique et le reste associé au premier âge du Fer) ainsi que deux zones de concentration en silex (une attribuée au Paléolithique supérieur et l’autre au Néolithique moyen, récent ou final). Les fenêtres 2 et 3, d’une surface cumulée de 6 057 m², comprenaient la majeure partie du mobilier isolé collecté lors de la fouille (chaque pièce fut relevé dans les trois dimensions de l’espace) et quelques rares structures archéologiques associées au premier âge du Fer (puits, fosse et fossé). Des relevés géomorphologiques et des prélèvements furent également effectués dans ces fenêtres afin de documenter l’évolution paysagère dans ce secteur de la vallée de la Marne. La collecte exhaustive du mobilier archéologique dans les horizons identifiés comme riches n’a pas permis de mettre en évidence une micro-stratigraphie/organisation des vestiges (âge vs. profondeur). Ceci est sans doute en grande partie lié au nombre limité d’artefacts isolés finalement attribuables chronologiquement. Les études entreprises montrent une fréquentation des lieux dès le Paléolithique supérieur. Cette période, marquée par un réseau fluviatile en tresse d’où émergent des « îlots » sableux entre les chenaux, est représentée par une zone de concentration en silex, occupant une surface d’environ 15 m², dont l’agencement des pièces témoigne d’une spatialisation de l’activité (débitage et rejet d’une part et découpe de matière et travail de la peau d’autre part). Si aucun indice d’une occupation des lieux au Mésolithique ne fut identifié, il est à noter la persistance dans le paysage et dans le temps de l’« îlot » sableux, sur lequel la zone de concentration en silex du Paléolithique supérieur fut identifiée et en arrière duquel s’installent dès le début de l’Holocène un marécage bien drainé. Au moins au Néolithique, le réseau fluviatile en tresse laisse sa place à un réseau à méandres à sédimentation fine, dont une boucle fut recouvrée dans les diagnostics voisins. L’emprise est fréquentée dès le Néolithique moyen II et ce jusqu’au Néolithique final pour des activités de débitage. La collecte exhaustive du mobilier permet d’illustrer l’organisation spatiale des espaces de débitage (vaste étendue dans la fenêtre 2 et plus restreinte dans la fenêtre 1 – notamment une zone de concentration lithique d’une étendue d’environ 12 m²), en dehors des zones d’habitat ou d’extraction généralement documentées. Si au Paléolithique supérieur la matière première est essentiellement locale et plutôt du silex secondaire, elle se diversifie au Néolithique avec du matériel local et divers (silex secondaire comme tertiaire) et du matériel lointain (silex pressignien). L’âge du Bronze est très timidement représenté par du mobilier isolé (métal et céramique). Le premier âge du Fer est lui bien représenté sur l’emprise aussi bien en termes de mobilier isolé que de structures associées. Il semble former un ensemble homogène auquel nous avons associé les structures pour lesquelles l’absence de mobilier ne permit pas une attribution chronologique certaine. Cet ensemble comprend des structures d’extraction de matière, des puits pour l’accès à l’eau et une vaste aire de stockage au nord de l’emprise – fenêtre 1 – constituée quasi-exclusivement de greniers sur poteaux rattachés au Hallstatt moyen/final. Le secteur semble ensuite déserté, bien que ponctuellement fréquenté, au 2nd âge du Fer et à l’époque gallo-romaine. Aucun vestige médiéval n’a été recouvré sur l’emprise.

FLAKING-OFF THE LITHIC EVOLUTIONARY TIMELINE Highlighting by lithic experiments the main evolutionary steps in stone flaking, conventionally divided into 4 main “modes”, each one representing a flaking project as behavioral... more

FLAKING-OFF THE LITHIC EVOLUTIONARY TIMELINE
Highlighting by lithic experiments the main evolutionary steps in stone flaking, conventionally divided into 4 main “modes”, each one representing a flaking project as behavioral adaptations, which had to be matched with specific environmental resources, conditions and human contacts.
Didactic approach with Lessini Mountains (Verona/Italy) flint outcrops are briefly introduced.

Experimental-traceological researches of Kostioki knives. 2014.

Quartz projectiles have received attention in the recent years due to, for instance, their discovery at prominent South African Middle Stone Age sites. However, very few methodological studies have been dedicated to quartz armatures and... more

Quartz projectiles have received attention in the recent years due to, for instance, their discovery at prominent South African Middle Stone Age sites. However, very few methodological studies have been dedicated to quartz armatures and the ones published so far are not built on an understanding of the particular behaviour of quartz under mechanical stress. Here, we investigate impact damage formation on automorphic and xenomorphic quartz (crystal quartz and vein quartz) through the microscopic analysis of 91 experimental armatures using a combination of low and high magnifications and SEM. Our results show that the structural properties of quartz affect the attributes of impact breaks and other damage. We also examine wear patterns on three different types of projectiles and offer preliminary guidelines for identifying them in archaeological assemblages. We argue that while quartz assemblages withhold significant potential for understanding past hunting technologies, the methods used for identifying and interpreting quartz projectiles need to be adjusted so that they take into account the notable differences between the macrocrystalline and cryptocrystalline varieties of this raw material.

This paper focuses on the functional analysis of a specific oval shaped basin diffused in Lower Egyptian Predynastic sites during the first half of the 4th millennium BC. These oval shallow ceramic basins are characterised by a flat and... more

This paper focuses on the functional analysis of a specific oval shaped basin diffused in Lower Egyptian Predynastic sites during the first half of the 4th millennium BC. These oval shallow ceramic basins are characterised by a flat and wide inner surface that is covered by a layer of small rock fragments pressed into the clay matrix. Several archeologists have interpreted them as grinding tools, but the limited number of samples unearthed thus far and their poor state of preservation made this interpretation uncertain. Here we present the results of a preliminary integrated study based on the combination of experimental archaeology and petrographic, use-wear and residue analyses carried out on two samples from the Predynastic site of Maadi. The use-wear analysis of the archaeological fragments highlighted traces of an intentional grinding and light pounding of oily substances, which is also partially supported by the organic residue investigation. These results were tested through experimental tests that confirmed these basins are most likely mortars.
Establishing the actual functional activities performed in such a unique type of vessel is important not only for understanding the social behaviors of the Lower Egyptian Predynastic communities and the dynamics related to the diffusion of such basins, but it also provides a new methodological framework for Egyptian Predynastic studies.

The aim of this work is to investigate the stick–slip phenomenon under friction of CrV(x)N (x¼0%, 12%, 27%, and 35%) coatings at room and high temperatures. The effects of vanadium (V) content and the temperature on the friction and... more

The aim of this work is to investigate the stick–slip phenomenon under friction of CrV(x)N (x¼0%, 12%,
27%, and 35%) coatings at room and high temperatures. The effects of vanadium (V) content and the
temperature on the friction and stick–slip parameters for the contact pair: coating-ceramic ball were
analyzed. The amplitude – a difference between the maximal and minimal values of the friction force, the
static force (at the beginning of friction) and the kinetic friction force (average value in the steady state)
were chosen for the description of the stick–slip phenomenon. The surface morphology, the structure
and the mechanical properties of coatings were analyzed by SEM, AFM and XRD techniques. The
hardness and roughness parameters before and after friction were measured. It was shown that
the addition of V up to 27–35% in CrV(x)N coatings increased the hardness and toughness and decreased
the grain size. These parameters are responsible for the improved tribological properties of coatings with
high a content of V. Friction of the CrV(0)N coating rubbed at room temperature is accompanied by
strong sticking. High values of the stick–slip parameters are explained by mechanical “catching” and
adhesion on the contact spots due to high roughness and transfer of Si films on the surface of the coating.
Low values of the stick–slip parameters under friction of CrV(35)N at high temperature (T¼500 1C) are
due to the formation of lubricious V2O5 oxide layer providing easy shearing of tribofilms in the interface
of rubbed surfaces.

The Wickliffe Thick pottery type, an unusual vessel with a globular body, thick wall, and funnel-like opening at the bottom, has been assumed to be related to salt production and/or juice pressing. The following project presents the... more

The Wickliffe Thick pottery type, an unusual vessel with a globular body, thick wall, and funnel-like opening at the bottom, has been assumed to be related to salt production and/or juice pressing. The following project presents the results of a use-wear analysis in order to understand Wickliffe Thick’s possible uses demonstrating that past conclusions likely need revision. A systematic, macroscopic analysis of ceramic sherds from more than 20 Mississippian sites throughout Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois are included in the study. Use-wear on the samples occur in a low frequency. Although other factors, such as a white efflorescence, and Wickliffe Thick’s temporal and spatial layout, may hint at its usage in the nixtamalization process. This paper lays out the evidence for these hypotheses while also recording the characteristics of Wickliffe Thick across the southeastern United States.

Tattoo traditions of Native North America are integral aspects of Indigenous cultural expression, which have been long undervalued by Western scholars. Iconographic evidence suggests tattoo practices dated to as early as AD 1000 in the... more

Tattoo traditions of Native North America are integral aspects of Indigenous cultural expression, which have been long undervalued by Western scholars. Iconographic evidence suggests tattoo practices dated to as early as AD 1000 in the southwestern United States. However, few tattoo tools have been identified in the archaeological record to date. Therefore, the full temporal span of tattoo traditions in the region is unknown. We recently discovered a unique perishable tattoo tool from the Turkey Pen site, Utah, which dates to the Basketmaker II period (500 BC–AD 500). We present the results of rigorous and comprehensive analysis of the Turkey Pen tool, including scanning electron microscopy, portable X-ray fluorescence, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and experimental tattooing. This tool is the oldest tattooing artifact identified in western North America and provides evidence extending the antiquity of Native American tattooing in the southwestern United States back to the first century AD.

Angle-hafted bone tattoo combs are found on many Pacific islands occupied by people speaking languages of the Oceanic sub-group of the Austronesian linguistic family, with the most elaborate bone tattoo tools restricted to Polynesia. A... more

Angle-hafted bone tattoo combs are found on many Pacific islands
occupied by people speaking languages of the Oceanic sub-group of
the Austronesian linguistic family, with the most elaborate bone tattoo
tools restricted to Polynesia. A critical problem in understanding
the development of an Oceanic tattooing tradition based on hafted
bone combs is their conspicuous absence from nearly all early sites
in the region. Did tattooing with bone combs arrive in the Pacific
with early Neolithic dispersals around 3,000 years ago, or was it an
innovation that developed in West Polynesia that was later diffused
to other parts of the Pacific? AMS dating and traceological examination
of four bone combs from a site in Tonga indicate they are the
oldest multi-toothed tattooing implements in the Pacific and confirm
the existence of the angle-hafted bone comb technology in Polynesia
2,700 years ago. The basic tattooing toolkit represented by narrow
bone combs from the TO.1 site appear to have been remarkably stable
over millennia and we suggest that the angle-hafted bone comb
probably dispersed from West Polynesia to other parts of Oceania.

The archaeological excavation of Arlanpe cave provides a limited set of bone industry and ornaments. In level D from the Back sector two bone remains with use-wear traces have been identified: one pointed bone flake, with indications of... more

The archaeological excavation of Arlanpe cave provides a limited set of bone industry and ornaments. In level D from the Back sector two bone remains with use-wear traces have been identified: one pointed bone flake, with indications of possible use, and a small diaphyseal fragment, with depressions and grooves. The bone tools from level II of the Entrance sector are characterized, despite its shortage, by its typological and functional diversity. Some of them seem to be related to the daily life (needle, spatula), while other are associated with hunting activities (assegais). Also, in that level several ornaments made in shell and mineral have been identified.

Historicising the emergence of ethnographic activities provides insights into the reliability of ethnographic analogies to aid archaeological understandings of past human societies, as well as allowing us to explore the historical... more

Historicising the emergence of ethnographic activities provides insights into the reliability of ethnographic analogies to aid archaeological understandings of past human societies, as well as allowing us to explore the historical emergence of ethnographically contextualised cultural traits. Epe Amoho is the largest hunting camp rockshelter used by the Himaiyu clan (Rumu people) of the Kikori River region, southern Papua New Guinea. Contemporary ethnographic information indicates dry season site use with subsistence practices directed towards riverine fishing and shellfishing, mammal hunting and gardening in the surrounding rainforest. But how long has the site been used and when in the past did activities start to resemble those known ethnographically? Archaeological excavations revealed three pulses of activity: Recent Phase (0-500 cal BP), Middle Phase (900-1200 cal BP) and Early Phase (2500-2850 cal BP). Pollen data reveal increasing rainforest disturbance by people through time. While the best match between ethnographic and archaeological practices occurs during the Recent Phase, selected aspects of Rumu subsistence extend back to the Early Phase. As the temporal depth of ethnographically-known practices differs between archaeological sites, a complex picture emerges where Rumu cultural practices unfolded at differing points in time and space over a period of at least 3000 years.

The term "ochre" has many meanings: a colored stone, a pigment, sunscreen, a curiosity item, a mustard hue, or even an object used for ritual. Ochre found at archaeological sites is described as a range of earthy, ferruginous rocks with... more

The term "ochre" has many meanings: a colored stone, a pigment, sunscreen, a curiosity item, a mustard hue, or even an object used for ritual. Ochre found at archaeological sites is described as a range of earthy, ferruginous rocks with red-yellow-purple streaks. The use of ochre in the past has proven valuable for interpreting not only cognitive capabili ties of its users but also for its potential to shed light on behavioral and social factors. The late Pleistocene, and specifically the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa, is a time of significant behavioral and cognitive advances for Homo sapiens-this coincides with the habitual use of ochre. By looking at the collection and use of ochre in the African Middle Stone Age, placed within a global and temporal context, important behavioral conclusions can be made. Ochre has many potential uses, making interpretations of ochre use in the past complicated. Ethnographic and modern analogies are considered as well as the ex perimental work that has been produced by numerous researchers. All accounts have deepened our understanding of the many ways that ochre may have been used in the dis tant past. It is likely that both its color and mineralogical content dictated its use in the past.

Since the late 1990s, unauthorized migrants attempting to cross the Sonoran Desert of Arizona have been relying on a unique set of material culture to evade Border Patrol, as well as prevent and treat injuries during the crossing... more

Since the late 1990s, unauthorized migrants attempting to cross the Sonoran Desert of Arizona have been relying on a unique set of material culture to evade Border Patrol, as well as prevent
and treat injuries during the crossing process. Some media and academic attention has focused on the hundreds of migrants who die each year during desert border crossings, but little focus
has been paid to the non-lethal injuries (e.g. blisters and dehydration) that hundreds of thousands of people sustain annually. Using a combination of ethnographic and archaeological data, the author argues that border-crossing artifacts both reflect and shape a way of being that is specific
to the desert migration process. Expanding upon the archaeological concept of use wear, he demonstrates that modifications made to migrant goods provide evidence of border-crossing body techniques that are connected to widespread and routinized forms of corporeal suffering.

Dry sliding wear behavior of electroless nickel-phosphorus (EN) coating of thickness ~35 μm deposited on a 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was studied. EN was deposited from a bath with sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent. In as-deposited... more

Dry sliding wear behavior of electroless nickel-phosphorus (EN) coating of thickness ~35 μm deposited on a 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was studied. EN was deposited from a bath with sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent. In as-deposited conditions, plating with 6-9 wt.% phosphorus has a mixture of amorphous and microcrystalline phase. Three pretreatments of Zn (zincate), Ni strike and absorbed hypophosphite layer were given to the substrate before EN coating to examine their wear performance. The surface morphology of the pretreatments was studied by a confocal laser scanning microscope. The performances of these pretreatments of EN were evaluated by dry sliding wear studies and followed by SEM studies. The results suggest that the wear behavior of EN mostly depends on the pretreatment conditions. Heat treatment at temperature of 400 °C can enhance the wear resistance properties for all types of pretreatment conditioned samples and in addition that the average coefficient of friction of 400 °C specimens (μav) had minimum value as compared to 200 °C specimens. Ni strike provided better interlocking adhesion between EN and Al and this pretreatment noticeably improved the wear, frictional and hardness behavior of the EN coatings on 7075 Al substrate and further enhanced it by heat treatment of 400 °C/h.

Abrasive wear is probably most significant cause of mechanical damage of component coming in contact of abrasive bodies. The cultivator is one of the most important tillage tool used in agriculture. But the wearing problem in cultivator... more

Abrasive wear is probably most significant cause of mechanical damage of component coming in contact of abrasive bodies. The cultivator is one of the most important tillage tool used in agriculture. But the wearing problem in cultivator shovel is is a big issue in present days we are using high carbon steel for making the cultivator shovel. The durability and life cycle of this type is less due to high carbon percentage. So here comes the such type of shovel which is more durable and less wear loss. Our study has taken in account the compare the our new designed and with new material component to the existing one in market on basis of wear loss. After improving the percentage of chromium in that this has less abrasive effect and we also decreased the percentage of carbon to decrease the brittleness property and to increase the capacity to store impact energy within it. Also we designed the shovel and give them knife edge face to penetrete the line of force resulting less drag force and self trimming. After comparing the both model in laboratory in different parameters like hardness test, impact test(Charpy and Izod method), microscopic structure and austanic grain structure. We also performed the real life test with different type of soil etc. we found that minimum amount of wear loss was observed with hardfacing chrome alloy, on the other hand un-hardfaced (EN-14B) observed maximum wear loss having 0.4-0.8% chromium. It shows that the percentage of Cr increasing the wear loss of hard facing alloy have increased. This increase in wear resistance has been attributed to the formation of larger amounts of primary and secondary carbides in the ferrite matrics which is in accordance with the investigations of amirsadeghi.

Since the 19th century, the so-called “Fontainebleau rock art” have been recognized in small cavities of the southern part of the Ile de France, in a rare context typified by accumulations of eroded sandstone boulders. The dating of this... more

Since the 19th century, the so-called “Fontainebleau rock art” have been recognized in small cavities of the southern part of the Ile de France, in a rare context typified by accumulations of eroded sandstone boulders. The dating of this non-figurative art, characterized by numerous grooved lines and grids, has always been the subject of much speculation. In the last thirty years, an attribution to the Mesolithic has been the most widely accepted interpretation owing to the discovery of highly worn lithic objects, considered as engraving tools and associated with Mesolithic artifacts in several rock shelters. This paper aims to question the Mesolithic hypothesis in the light of a new methodological and archaeological approach. First, a use-wear analysis of several hundred worn tools from three rock shelters confirms their connection with the numerous lines grooved in the sandstone walls. In a second time, a critical review of the archaeological data consolidates the Mesolithic dating. The engraving tools are always associated with a diagnostic industry, but the typology of the microliths discovered in the archaeological layers indicates mixture between several phases of the regional Mesolithic. Luckily, the typo-technological analyses of the engraving tool blanks highlight the systematic re-use of Early Mesolithic tools and bladelets as opposed to Late Mesolithic artifacts which are never worn by sandstone grooving. Considering the recurrence of these observations for the three studied rock shelters, the Early Mesolithic dating of the Fontainebleau rock art can be considered as a solid hypothesis, identifying the southern part of Ile-de-France as one of the major regions in Europe as concerns Mesolithic rock art.

Since its beginnings in the 1960s, the microscopic analysis of use wear traces has aimed mostly at the study of lithic tools made in cryptocrystalline siliceous sedimentites. The methodology developed therefore allowed us to characterize... more

Since its beginnings in the 1960s, the microscopic analysis of use wear traces has aimed mostly at the study of lithic tools made in cryptocrystalline siliceous sedimentites. The methodology developed therefore allowed us to characterize the traces produced by use of flint tools on different materials, and to explain the mechanisms of wear traces formation according to the modification of the crystalline structure that occurs at the interface. However, until recently the functional analysis still suffered from two main problems: raw materials to which it could be applied, and the poor definition and mainly qualitative nature of the variables used for the description of the micropolish.
In this paper we discuss the characterization of surface modifications through microscopic study and digit images analysis developed on different classes of raw materials: crystals (quartz), amorphous rocks (obsidian) and rocks formed by matrix and phenocrysts (quartzites, rhyolites, basalts, cinerites etc.). On this basis we propose a model to explain characteristics and mechanisms of surface modifications on lithic tools.

The lower Sundays River Valley, within the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, has featured in a range of papers over the last century. A large portion of these focuses on improving our understanding of a series of river terraces that... more

The lower Sundays River Valley, within the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, has featured in a range of papers over the last century. A large portion of these focuses on improving our understanding of a series of river terraces that border the present channel. Earlier Stone Age (ESA) artefacts were first noted to occur in these deposits in the 1950s, but since this initial research there has been no attempt to investigate these further.
Our understanding of the Eastern Cape’s early archaeology is poor and this can be attributed to a lack of research. Only a single ESA site, Amanzi Springs, has been fully excavated for the entire province, and although the artefacts here provide some indication as to what characterises this region’s early archaeology, the significance of this site is limited by our inability to date it. Well-dated ESA sites are thus completely absent in the Eastern Cape.
More recently, a study has provided a series of dates for the Sundays River terraces. Most importantly, this research confirmed the presence of these ESA – more specifically Acheulean – artefacts within three of these dated deposits, namely: Atmar Farm dated to 0.65 ± 0.12 Ma (millions of years ago), Bernol Farm dated to 1.14 ± 0.2 Ma, and Penhill Farm date to <1.37 ± 0.16 Ma and more recently constrained by this research to >0.485 ± 0.051 Ma. Accordingly, it has been the purpose of this research to investigate these deposits through both survey and excavation, and to provide details on this archaeology.
This research thus provides the first ever comprehensively described and dated ESA sites for this region, and from this we can now begin to construct our understanding of the local Acheulean Tradition. This research also provides a contextual assessment for the formation of these deposits and what processes have influenced their formation and modification. Furthermore, from the detailed analysis of the artefacts, we can begin to understand the strategies employed in their production.
Our investigations have shown that largely different contextual conditions are present at each of the three sites. This has had significant impacts on the integrity of these assemblages, and the preservation and retention of assemblage components are highly variable between them. All of the artefact assemblages show the following characteristics: simple strategies in core reduction, low levels of reduction in both cores and formal tools, simple and expedient production of retouched artefacts with little emphasis on careful edge modification, and large cutting tools (LCTs) that are flaked bifacially but have limited shaping overall.
For the first time in half a century our research now provides comparative material from three dated sites that can be used to help understand variability in the local Acheulean Tradition. This has important implications for not only the Eastern Cape, but also to sites elsewhere in the interior.

A review of high temperature tribocorrosion is presented focusing attention on those contributions that illustrate the general principles, modeling, and scientific theories of the processes of high temperature wear. A significant aspect... more

A review of high temperature tribocorrosion is presented focusing attention on those contributions that illustrate the general principles, modeling, and scientific theories of the processes of high temperature wear. A significant aspect of this chapter is the inclusion of new information on glaze formation, generated at the sub-microscopic and nano-scale level.

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The aim of the project was to develop a High Modulus Ductile Cast Iron with improved wear resistance either through the introduction of as-cast carbides or through the tempering of introduced martensite. Here, the wear properties of low... more

The aim of the project was to develop a High Modulus Ductile Cast Iron with improved wear resistance either through the introduction of as-cast carbides or through the tempering of introduced martensite. Here,
the wear properties of low carbon equivalent austempered ductile iron were compared with standard austempered ductile iron (ADI). The influence of austenitizing temperature on the microstructure of low carbon equivalent iron is also studied. Different etching reagents were used to identify the various phases present in the microstructure.