This work studies multiscale analyses and characterizations of surface topographies from the engi... more This work studies multiscale analyses and characterizations of surface topographies from the engineering and scientific literature with an emphasis on production engineering research and design. It highlights methods that provide strong correlations between topographies and performance or topographies and processes, and methods that can confidently discriminate topographies that were processed or that perform differently. These methods have commonalities in geometric characterizations at certain scales, which are observable with statistics and measurements. It also develops a semantic and theoretical framework and proposes a new system for organizing and designating multiscale analyses. Finally, future possibilities for multiscale analyses are discussed.
This introduction to the Special Section provides a summary of our current understanding of the f... more This introduction to the Special Section provides a summary of our current understanding of the first humans and the first Maya in these regions and presents seven articles that examine these critical periods from varied, intersecting perspectives. The Introduction begins with a brief history of early preceramic research (primarily in northern Belize) and provides a current chronology for the Paleoindian, Archaic, and Early Preclassic periods. The Paleoindian and Archaic (ca. 11,500-900 b.c.) periods are discussed in terms of the origins of the first peoples in these regions, lithic technology, subsistence, and early ritual. Next, a summary of archaeological evidence for the transition to the first villages (ca. 1200-800 b.c.) is provided, with examinations of a horticultural lifestyle, the earliest ceramics, increased socioeconomic complexity, new ideology and ritual practices, and developing social inequality. Proto-Mayan and Mayan languages-their dating, origin, and early lexicon-are discussed in relation to the first Maya. Material culture and language are explored with regard to conceptions of Maya culture.
Excavations at Crawford Bank in Crooked Tree, Belize, exposed a lithic deposit with no associated... more Excavations at Crawford Bank in Crooked Tree, Belize, exposed a lithic deposit with no associated ceramics. The deposit primarily consists of chipped chert and chalcedony tools and debitage, as well as a small number of worked slate fragments. Most of the chert likely sources to the Northern Belize Chert-bearing Zone (NBCZ). The recovery of two Archaic period formal toolsa Lowe point and a constricted uniface/trimmed macrobladesuggests a pre-Maya occupation. Use-wear analysis of both tools and debitage demonstrates a wide range of uses with a focus on wood and hard contact materials. The use-wear patterns demonstrate a heavy reliance on ad hoc/expedient technology for the completion of different tasks involving wood by preceramic peoples. The Crawford Bank site likely represents one or more short-term, task-orientated preceramic occupation(s) for the extraction and use of the available resources of the local wetland environment, most notably logwood.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Mar 1, 2019
Ancient Maya material culture can be investigated from the perspective of ritual economy as a mea... more Ancient Maya material culture can be investigated from the perspective of ritual economy as a means to interpret the dynamic interrelationships between economic processes and the use of objects in ritual activities. Such interrelationships include access to raw materials, control of production and consumption, and the legitimate use of objects in various activities, including rites and performances, as constituted through a culture's worldview. This paper presents an exploration of the relationship between obsidian blades and bloodletting in Maya ritual contexts from the perspective of ritual economy, highlighting the use of blades in Actun Uayazba Kab (Handprint Cave) in Western Belize. The roles of producers, consumers, practitioners, and observers are examined in terms of gender, status, and power by tracing the functional and ideological characteristics of obsidian blades, as both objects used to let blood and as symbols of bloodletting, based on evidence derived from microscopic use-wear analysis and iconography. Ethnographic and ethnohistoric information is employed to assist in contextualizing ancient Maya ritual activity in caves and to provide a cultural lens to reconstruct how bloodletting was connected to resource production and consumption, the creation and maintenance of identity, and the allocation of power among Maya participants through ritual.
Six additional barbed bifaces have been recovered from the Cayo District of Western Belize, bring... more Six additional barbed bifaces have been recovered from the Cayo District of Western Belize, bringing the total number of known Late Archaic Lowe and Sawmill points from this part of the country to . Not only do these six points provide more evidence for a greater Late Archaic hunter-gatherer presence in this part of the country, but differences in their stems suggest the possibility of more variation in point styles than previously known. Based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the points from Western Belize and comparisons to others discovered in Northern and Northwestern Belize and the Sibun Gorge of Central Belize, we propose that there may have been three different styles of Lowe points used by Late Archaic food-foragers in Belize. However, two of these three possible Lowe point styles are only represented by a single artifact each, rendering more detailed explanations of sources of stylistic variation difficult. Unlike the Lowe points, the observed differences in the Sawmill point stems are not supported by quantitative data; therefore, there seems to be only one style of stem for these Late Archaic bifaces.
From the perspective of Central and South America, the peopling of the New World was a complex pr... more From the perspective of Central and South America, the peopling of the New World was a complex process lasting thousands of years and involving multiple waves of Pleistocene and early Holocene period immigrants entering into the neotropics. These Paleoindian colonists initially brought with them technologies developed for adaptation to environments and resources found in North America. As the ice age ended across the New World people adapted more generalized stone tools to exploit changing environments and resources. In the neotropics these changes would have been pronounced as patchy forests and grasslands gave way to broadleaf tropical forests. We document a late Pleistocene/early Holocene stone tool tradition from Belize, located in southern Mesoamerica. This represents the first endogenous Paleoindian stone tool technocomplex recovered from well dated stratigraphic contexts for Mesoamerica. Previously designated Lowe, these artifacts share multiple features with contemporary North and South American Paleoindian tool types. Once hafted, these bifaces appear to have served multiple functions for cutting, hooking, thrusting, or throwing. The tools were developed at a time of technological regionalization reflecting the diverse demands of a period of pronounced environmental change and population movement. Combined stratigraphic, technological, and population paleogenetic data suggests that there were strong ties between lowland neotropic regions at the onset of the Holocene.
Microwear (use-wear) analysis is a powerful method for identifying tool use that archaeologists a... more Microwear (use-wear) analysis is a powerful method for identifying tool use that archaeologists and anthropologists employ to determine the activities undertaken by both humans and their hominin ancestors. Knowledge of tool use allows for more accurate and detailed reconstructions of past behavior, particularly in relation to subsistence practices, economic activities, conflict and ritual. It can also be used to document changes in these activities over time, in different locations, and by different members of society, in terms of gender and status, for example. Both stone and bone tools have been analyzed using a variety of techniques that focus on the observation, documentation and interpretation of wear traces. Traditionally, microwear analysis relied on the qualitative assessment of wear features using microscopes and often included comparisons between replicated tools used experimentally and the recovered artifacts, as well as functional analogies dependent upon modern implements and those used by indigenous peoples from various places around the world. Determination of tool use has also relied on the recovery and analysis of both organic and inorganic residues of past worked materials that survived in and on artifact surfaces. To determine tool use and better understand the mechanics of wear formation, particularly on stone and bone, archaeologists and anthropologists have increasingly turned to surface metrology and tribology to assist them in their research. This paper provides a history of the development of traditional microwear analysis in archaeology and anthropology and also explores the introduction and adoption of more modern methods and technologies for documenting and identifying wear on stone and bone tools, specifically those developed for the engineering sciences to study surface structures on micro- and nanoscales. The current state of microwear analysis is discussed as are the future directions in the study of microwear on stone and bone tools.
ABSTRACT Technological, metric, and microscopic use-wear analyses of the chipped chert and obsidi... more ABSTRACT Technological, metric, and microscopic use-wear analyses of the chipped chert and obsidian artifacts from the Chaa Creek chultun present a complex use-history in this underground space. Most, if not all, of the lithics are secondary refuse deposited at this location from other areas of initial production and use. The lithic sub-assemblages within the chultun represent at least two discrete deposition events of expediently produced flakes of local chert used for various domestic/household tasks. The lithics from the construction core of the platform on the surface appear to be secondary refuse that is the product of different formation processes. The number of large whole chert flakes with use wear resulting from contact with wood and stone from the platform construction core suggests an origin from a location or locations in which crafting occurred. By focusing on the stone tools from discrete stratigraphic deposits, it is possible to provide more detailed reconstructions of the various episodes of chultun use.
Archaeological investigations by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project at Cahal... more Archaeological investigations by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project at Cahal Pech uncovered several Terminal Classic (a.d. 750–900) peri-abandonment deposits and activity areas at this Belize River Valley center. The deposits contained a diverse assemblage of cultural remains located above and between collapsed architecture, associated with evidence for burning activities. In the past, archaeologists have generally interpreted similar assemblages as “problematic deposits”—“de facto” refuse (garbage)—as associated with building termination and desecration, or as evidence for rapid abandonment during the violent destruction of these ancient cities. It is argued here that the microstratigraphic excavation and contextual analysis of these features provide limited support for these explanations. Alternatively, we suggest that the deposits are more likely associated with peri-abandonment rituals that were conducted by a reduced remnant population at Cahal Pech, or by small groups who continued to reside in the site's periphery during the last stages of the Terminal Classic period.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Oct 1, 2020
The adoption of an agricultural lifeway is considered one of the most significant cultural events... more The adoption of an agricultural lifeway is considered one of the most significant cultural events in prehistory. Microwear analysis of stone harvesting tools is among the many approaches used to document the transition to agriculture in the Near East. Traditionally, these microwear analyses rely on the use of optical microscopy and visual-verbal descriptions of wear criteria. In addition to traditional optical microscopy, ongoing research into the applications of surface metrology for the characterization of microwear traces has contributed to the development of quantitative microwear methods. Despite significant research into the quantification of lithic microwear polishes, there has been comparatively little research on the quantification of tool edge angles to understand function. In this paper, we test a new method for the quantification of areal curvature of stone harvesting tool edges at multiple scales using data collected with focus variation microscopy. These calculations are based on curvature tensors of the measured surface topographies along tool edge cross sections. This method allows calculation of maximal and minimal curvatures at each location and scale. For this paper, we analyze a set of experimental microliths used as cereal harvesting tools using changes in multiscalar areal edge curvature to mathematically document harvesting intensity (duration of use). This experimental research presents a new method for documenting used stone tool edges that will contribute to our understanding of how harvesting tools were used, curated, and discarded in the past, giving insight into the food collection practices of early farmers.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Apr 1, 2019
The application of micro-and nanotechnology, adopted from engineering and materials sciences, is ... more The application of micro-and nanotechnology, adopted from engineering and materials sciences, is proving valuable in studying stone tool surfaces. Measurement systems for surface characterization have been coupled with parameters that allow for the mathematical characterization of stone tool surfaces. For this project, a Sensofar S neox imaging confocal microscope (ICM)/focus variation microscope (FVM) and an Olympus LEXT OLS4100 laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) are used to mathematically document the edge crosssections on five chipped stone tools made from basalt, chert, obsidian, and quartz. Based on the surface documentation of edge cross-sections, a new algorithm for the calculation of edge curvature at multiple scales is tested. Results indicate the confocal systems experience difficulty documenting edge cross-sections. However, focus variation microscopy can mathematically document edge cross-sections on stone tools made from basalt and chert, thus permitting the calculation of edge curvature over multiple scales of measurement. Microscale documentation of edge cross-sections and calculation of edge curvature will be helpful in understanding the relationships between tool edges, edge sharpness, edge attrition, and microwear. Comparisons between these three measurement systems (ICM, LSCM, FVM) provide information necessary for further method development in edge cross-section measurement and the potential to generate more robust edge analysis protocols.
From 1999-2005, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project excavated Pook's Hill (PK... more From 1999-2005, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project excavated Pook's Hill (PKH-1), a single plazuela group located in the Roaring Creek Valley, Cayo District, Belize. Artifacts recovered at Pook's Hill date predominantly to the Late and Terminal Classic (A.D. 700-950) and can be stratigraphically segregated into two distinct occupation phases, namely a Late Classic (A.D. 700-830) and a Terminal Classic-Early Postclassic (A.D. 830-9507z) phase. The chipped chert and chalcedony tools from the two phases were included in a combined program of low-and high-power use-wear analysis to reconstruct aspects of the socioeconomy. The results of the analyses reveal that the site's inhabitants produced and used both formal and informal tools for a wide variety of subsistence and domestic tasks, and for the production of some utilitarian items. Stone tool use-wear evidence and the recovery of small quantities of other artifacts suggest that the Maya from Pook's Hill produced more valuable objects of bone, stone, and shell, although it is difficult to accurately identify craft-production activities at the site from the context of recovery. Despite some variation in the specific activities undertaken with the chipped stone tools over time, the organization of lithic technology at Pook's Hill did not change significantly from the Late Classic into the Early Postclassic period.
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Dec 7, 2022
In line with engineering research focusing on metal tools, techniques to record the attribute of ... more In line with engineering research focusing on metal tools, techniques to record the attribute of 'edge sharpness' on stone tools can include both mechanical and micro-geometric approaches. Mechanically-defined sharpness techniques used in lithic studies are now well established and align with engineering research. The single micro-geometrically-defined technique-tip curvature-is novel relative to approaches used elsewhere, and has not explicitly been tested for its ability to describe the attribute of sharpness. Here, using experimental flakes produced on basalt, chert, and quartzite sourced at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania), we investigate the relationship between tip curvature and the force and work required to initiate a cut. We do this using controlled cutting tests and analysis of high-resolution microCT scans. Results indicate cutting force and work to display significant dependent relationships with tip curvature, suggesting the latter to be an appropriate metric to record the sharpness of lithic tools. Differences in relationship strength were observed dependent on the measurement scales and edge distances used. Tip curvature is also demonstrated to distinguish between the sharpness of different raw materials. Our data also indicate the predictive relationship between tip curvature and cutting force/work to be one of the strongest yet identified between a stone tool morphological attribute and its cutting performance. Together, this study demonstrates tip curvature to be an appropriate attribute for describing the sharpness of a stone tool's working edge in diverse raw material scenarios, and that it can be highly predictive of a stone tool's functional performance.
In particular, additional stemmed and barbed bifaces have been recovered that conform to the tech... more In particular, additional stemmed and barbed bifaces have been recovered that conform to the technological and stylistic criteria of two types of points: Lowe and Sawmill. These have been considered Late Archaic (ca.
This work studies multiscale analyses and characterizations of surface topographies from the engi... more This work studies multiscale analyses and characterizations of surface topographies from the engineering and scientific literature with an emphasis on production engineering research and design. It highlights methods that provide strong correlations between topographies and performance or topographies and processes, and methods that can confidently discriminate topographies that were processed or that perform differently. These methods have commonalities in geometric characterizations at certain scales, which are observable with statistics and measurements. It also develops a semantic and theoretical framework and proposes a new system for organizing and designating multiscale analyses. Finally, future possibilities for multiscale analyses are discussed.
This introduction to the Special Section provides a summary of our current understanding of the f... more This introduction to the Special Section provides a summary of our current understanding of the first humans and the first Maya in these regions and presents seven articles that examine these critical periods from varied, intersecting perspectives. The Introduction begins with a brief history of early preceramic research (primarily in northern Belize) and provides a current chronology for the Paleoindian, Archaic, and Early Preclassic periods. The Paleoindian and Archaic (ca. 11,500-900 b.c.) periods are discussed in terms of the origins of the first peoples in these regions, lithic technology, subsistence, and early ritual. Next, a summary of archaeological evidence for the transition to the first villages (ca. 1200-800 b.c.) is provided, with examinations of a horticultural lifestyle, the earliest ceramics, increased socioeconomic complexity, new ideology and ritual practices, and developing social inequality. Proto-Mayan and Mayan languages-their dating, origin, and early lexicon-are discussed in relation to the first Maya. Material culture and language are explored with regard to conceptions of Maya culture.
Excavations at Crawford Bank in Crooked Tree, Belize, exposed a lithic deposit with no associated... more Excavations at Crawford Bank in Crooked Tree, Belize, exposed a lithic deposit with no associated ceramics. The deposit primarily consists of chipped chert and chalcedony tools and debitage, as well as a small number of worked slate fragments. Most of the chert likely sources to the Northern Belize Chert-bearing Zone (NBCZ). The recovery of two Archaic period formal toolsa Lowe point and a constricted uniface/trimmed macrobladesuggests a pre-Maya occupation. Use-wear analysis of both tools and debitage demonstrates a wide range of uses with a focus on wood and hard contact materials. The use-wear patterns demonstrate a heavy reliance on ad hoc/expedient technology for the completion of different tasks involving wood by preceramic peoples. The Crawford Bank site likely represents one or more short-term, task-orientated preceramic occupation(s) for the extraction and use of the available resources of the local wetland environment, most notably logwood.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Mar 1, 2019
Ancient Maya material culture can be investigated from the perspective of ritual economy as a mea... more Ancient Maya material culture can be investigated from the perspective of ritual economy as a means to interpret the dynamic interrelationships between economic processes and the use of objects in ritual activities. Such interrelationships include access to raw materials, control of production and consumption, and the legitimate use of objects in various activities, including rites and performances, as constituted through a culture's worldview. This paper presents an exploration of the relationship between obsidian blades and bloodletting in Maya ritual contexts from the perspective of ritual economy, highlighting the use of blades in Actun Uayazba Kab (Handprint Cave) in Western Belize. The roles of producers, consumers, practitioners, and observers are examined in terms of gender, status, and power by tracing the functional and ideological characteristics of obsidian blades, as both objects used to let blood and as symbols of bloodletting, based on evidence derived from microscopic use-wear analysis and iconography. Ethnographic and ethnohistoric information is employed to assist in contextualizing ancient Maya ritual activity in caves and to provide a cultural lens to reconstruct how bloodletting was connected to resource production and consumption, the creation and maintenance of identity, and the allocation of power among Maya participants through ritual.
Six additional barbed bifaces have been recovered from the Cayo District of Western Belize, bring... more Six additional barbed bifaces have been recovered from the Cayo District of Western Belize, bringing the total number of known Late Archaic Lowe and Sawmill points from this part of the country to . Not only do these six points provide more evidence for a greater Late Archaic hunter-gatherer presence in this part of the country, but differences in their stems suggest the possibility of more variation in point styles than previously known. Based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the points from Western Belize and comparisons to others discovered in Northern and Northwestern Belize and the Sibun Gorge of Central Belize, we propose that there may have been three different styles of Lowe points used by Late Archaic food-foragers in Belize. However, two of these three possible Lowe point styles are only represented by a single artifact each, rendering more detailed explanations of sources of stylistic variation difficult. Unlike the Lowe points, the observed differences in the Sawmill point stems are not supported by quantitative data; therefore, there seems to be only one style of stem for these Late Archaic bifaces.
From the perspective of Central and South America, the peopling of the New World was a complex pr... more From the perspective of Central and South America, the peopling of the New World was a complex process lasting thousands of years and involving multiple waves of Pleistocene and early Holocene period immigrants entering into the neotropics. These Paleoindian colonists initially brought with them technologies developed for adaptation to environments and resources found in North America. As the ice age ended across the New World people adapted more generalized stone tools to exploit changing environments and resources. In the neotropics these changes would have been pronounced as patchy forests and grasslands gave way to broadleaf tropical forests. We document a late Pleistocene/early Holocene stone tool tradition from Belize, located in southern Mesoamerica. This represents the first endogenous Paleoindian stone tool technocomplex recovered from well dated stratigraphic contexts for Mesoamerica. Previously designated Lowe, these artifacts share multiple features with contemporary North and South American Paleoindian tool types. Once hafted, these bifaces appear to have served multiple functions for cutting, hooking, thrusting, or throwing. The tools were developed at a time of technological regionalization reflecting the diverse demands of a period of pronounced environmental change and population movement. Combined stratigraphic, technological, and population paleogenetic data suggests that there were strong ties between lowland neotropic regions at the onset of the Holocene.
Microwear (use-wear) analysis is a powerful method for identifying tool use that archaeologists a... more Microwear (use-wear) analysis is a powerful method for identifying tool use that archaeologists and anthropologists employ to determine the activities undertaken by both humans and their hominin ancestors. Knowledge of tool use allows for more accurate and detailed reconstructions of past behavior, particularly in relation to subsistence practices, economic activities, conflict and ritual. It can also be used to document changes in these activities over time, in different locations, and by different members of society, in terms of gender and status, for example. Both stone and bone tools have been analyzed using a variety of techniques that focus on the observation, documentation and interpretation of wear traces. Traditionally, microwear analysis relied on the qualitative assessment of wear features using microscopes and often included comparisons between replicated tools used experimentally and the recovered artifacts, as well as functional analogies dependent upon modern implements and those used by indigenous peoples from various places around the world. Determination of tool use has also relied on the recovery and analysis of both organic and inorganic residues of past worked materials that survived in and on artifact surfaces. To determine tool use and better understand the mechanics of wear formation, particularly on stone and bone, archaeologists and anthropologists have increasingly turned to surface metrology and tribology to assist them in their research. This paper provides a history of the development of traditional microwear analysis in archaeology and anthropology and also explores the introduction and adoption of more modern methods and technologies for documenting and identifying wear on stone and bone tools, specifically those developed for the engineering sciences to study surface structures on micro- and nanoscales. The current state of microwear analysis is discussed as are the future directions in the study of microwear on stone and bone tools.
ABSTRACT Technological, metric, and microscopic use-wear analyses of the chipped chert and obsidi... more ABSTRACT Technological, metric, and microscopic use-wear analyses of the chipped chert and obsidian artifacts from the Chaa Creek chultun present a complex use-history in this underground space. Most, if not all, of the lithics are secondary refuse deposited at this location from other areas of initial production and use. The lithic sub-assemblages within the chultun represent at least two discrete deposition events of expediently produced flakes of local chert used for various domestic/household tasks. The lithics from the construction core of the platform on the surface appear to be secondary refuse that is the product of different formation processes. The number of large whole chert flakes with use wear resulting from contact with wood and stone from the platform construction core suggests an origin from a location or locations in which crafting occurred. By focusing on the stone tools from discrete stratigraphic deposits, it is possible to provide more detailed reconstructions of the various episodes of chultun use.
Archaeological investigations by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project at Cahal... more Archaeological investigations by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project at Cahal Pech uncovered several Terminal Classic (a.d. 750–900) peri-abandonment deposits and activity areas at this Belize River Valley center. The deposits contained a diverse assemblage of cultural remains located above and between collapsed architecture, associated with evidence for burning activities. In the past, archaeologists have generally interpreted similar assemblages as “problematic deposits”—“de facto” refuse (garbage)—as associated with building termination and desecration, or as evidence for rapid abandonment during the violent destruction of these ancient cities. It is argued here that the microstratigraphic excavation and contextual analysis of these features provide limited support for these explanations. Alternatively, we suggest that the deposits are more likely associated with peri-abandonment rituals that were conducted by a reduced remnant population at Cahal Pech, or by small groups who continued to reside in the site's periphery during the last stages of the Terminal Classic period.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Oct 1, 2020
The adoption of an agricultural lifeway is considered one of the most significant cultural events... more The adoption of an agricultural lifeway is considered one of the most significant cultural events in prehistory. Microwear analysis of stone harvesting tools is among the many approaches used to document the transition to agriculture in the Near East. Traditionally, these microwear analyses rely on the use of optical microscopy and visual-verbal descriptions of wear criteria. In addition to traditional optical microscopy, ongoing research into the applications of surface metrology for the characterization of microwear traces has contributed to the development of quantitative microwear methods. Despite significant research into the quantification of lithic microwear polishes, there has been comparatively little research on the quantification of tool edge angles to understand function. In this paper, we test a new method for the quantification of areal curvature of stone harvesting tool edges at multiple scales using data collected with focus variation microscopy. These calculations are based on curvature tensors of the measured surface topographies along tool edge cross sections. This method allows calculation of maximal and minimal curvatures at each location and scale. For this paper, we analyze a set of experimental microliths used as cereal harvesting tools using changes in multiscalar areal edge curvature to mathematically document harvesting intensity (duration of use). This experimental research presents a new method for documenting used stone tool edges that will contribute to our understanding of how harvesting tools were used, curated, and discarded in the past, giving insight into the food collection practices of early farmers.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Apr 1, 2019
The application of micro-and nanotechnology, adopted from engineering and materials sciences, is ... more The application of micro-and nanotechnology, adopted from engineering and materials sciences, is proving valuable in studying stone tool surfaces. Measurement systems for surface characterization have been coupled with parameters that allow for the mathematical characterization of stone tool surfaces. For this project, a Sensofar S neox imaging confocal microscope (ICM)/focus variation microscope (FVM) and an Olympus LEXT OLS4100 laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) are used to mathematically document the edge crosssections on five chipped stone tools made from basalt, chert, obsidian, and quartz. Based on the surface documentation of edge cross-sections, a new algorithm for the calculation of edge curvature at multiple scales is tested. Results indicate the confocal systems experience difficulty documenting edge cross-sections. However, focus variation microscopy can mathematically document edge cross-sections on stone tools made from basalt and chert, thus permitting the calculation of edge curvature over multiple scales of measurement. Microscale documentation of edge cross-sections and calculation of edge curvature will be helpful in understanding the relationships between tool edges, edge sharpness, edge attrition, and microwear. Comparisons between these three measurement systems (ICM, LSCM, FVM) provide information necessary for further method development in edge cross-section measurement and the potential to generate more robust edge analysis protocols.
From 1999-2005, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project excavated Pook's Hill (PK... more From 1999-2005, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project excavated Pook's Hill (PKH-1), a single plazuela group located in the Roaring Creek Valley, Cayo District, Belize. Artifacts recovered at Pook's Hill date predominantly to the Late and Terminal Classic (A.D. 700-950) and can be stratigraphically segregated into two distinct occupation phases, namely a Late Classic (A.D. 700-830) and a Terminal Classic-Early Postclassic (A.D. 830-9507z) phase. The chipped chert and chalcedony tools from the two phases were included in a combined program of low-and high-power use-wear analysis to reconstruct aspects of the socioeconomy. The results of the analyses reveal that the site's inhabitants produced and used both formal and informal tools for a wide variety of subsistence and domestic tasks, and for the production of some utilitarian items. Stone tool use-wear evidence and the recovery of small quantities of other artifacts suggest that the Maya from Pook's Hill produced more valuable objects of bone, stone, and shell, although it is difficult to accurately identify craft-production activities at the site from the context of recovery. Despite some variation in the specific activities undertaken with the chipped stone tools over time, the organization of lithic technology at Pook's Hill did not change significantly from the Late Classic into the Early Postclassic period.
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Dec 7, 2022
In line with engineering research focusing on metal tools, techniques to record the attribute of ... more In line with engineering research focusing on metal tools, techniques to record the attribute of 'edge sharpness' on stone tools can include both mechanical and micro-geometric approaches. Mechanically-defined sharpness techniques used in lithic studies are now well established and align with engineering research. The single micro-geometrically-defined technique-tip curvature-is novel relative to approaches used elsewhere, and has not explicitly been tested for its ability to describe the attribute of sharpness. Here, using experimental flakes produced on basalt, chert, and quartzite sourced at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania), we investigate the relationship between tip curvature and the force and work required to initiate a cut. We do this using controlled cutting tests and analysis of high-resolution microCT scans. Results indicate cutting force and work to display significant dependent relationships with tip curvature, suggesting the latter to be an appropriate metric to record the sharpness of lithic tools. Differences in relationship strength were observed dependent on the measurement scales and edge distances used. Tip curvature is also demonstrated to distinguish between the sharpness of different raw materials. Our data also indicate the predictive relationship between tip curvature and cutting force/work to be one of the strongest yet identified between a stone tool morphological attribute and its cutting performance. Together, this study demonstrates tip curvature to be an appropriate attribute for describing the sharpness of a stone tool's working edge in diverse raw material scenarios, and that it can be highly predictive of a stone tool's functional performance.
In particular, additional stemmed and barbed bifaces have been recovered that conform to the tech... more In particular, additional stemmed and barbed bifaces have been recovered that conform to the technological and stylistic criteria of two types of points: Lowe and Sawmill. These have been considered Late Archaic (ca.
Excavations at Crawford Bank in Crooked Tree, Belize, exposed a lithic deposit with no associated... more Excavations at Crawford Bank in Crooked Tree, Belize, exposed a lithic deposit with no associated ceramics. The deposit primarily consists of chipped chert and chalcedony tools and debitage, as well as a small number of worked slate fragments. Most of the chert likely sources to the Northern Belize Chert-bearing Zone (NBCZ). The recovery of two Archaic period formal tools – a Lowe point and a constricted uniface/trimmed macroblade – suggests a pre-Maya occupation. Use-wear analysis of both tools and debitage demonstrates a wide range of uses with a focus on wood and hard contact materials. The use-wear patterns demonstrate a heavy reliance on ad hoc/expedient technology for the completion of different tasks involving wood by preceramic peoples. The Crawford Bank site likely represents one or more short-term, task-orientated
preceramic occupation(s) for the extraction and use of the available resources of the local wetland environment, most notably logwood.
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Papers by James Stemp
preceramic occupation(s) for the extraction and use of the available resources of the local wetland environment, most notably logwood.