Few microwear studies have been conducted on tools made from quartzite. Most rely on visual obser... more Few microwear studies have been conducted on tools made from quartzite. Most rely on visual observation of microwear features using optical light microscopes and scanning electron microscopes. Quantification of microwear on quartzite tools is extremely rare, even though numerous methods to mathematically document surface roughness have been applied to other silicate tools. In this paper, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was used to document surface roughness on four experimental scrapers made from two different subtypes of Mistassini quartzite that were used on either fresh or dry deer hide. Surface roughness data were analysed using area-scale fractal complexity (Asfc). The results of this test case indicate that Asfc can effectively discriminate between the unused and used regions on the quartzite tools based on surface roughness, and that it can also discriminate between surface roughness produced by working dry versus fresh hides. Differences in the subtypes of Mistassini quartzite did affect surface roughness, but not significantly enough to prevent discrimination of the dry and fresh hide-working tools. Although the use of the Asfc parameter for lithic microwear analysis requires further testing, these first results suggest it could be a reliable technique to mathematically document and discriminate wear patterns on archaeological quartzite tools.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright Author's personal copy Reaping the rewards: the potential of well designed methodology, a comment on Vardi et al.
Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite fo... more Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite for developing more reliable interpretations of use-wear evidence and tool function. We use nanoindentation and use-wear experimentation as a way to measure differences in raw material surface hardness and roughness in order to show that differences in lithic material properties have implications for rates of use-wear accrual.
The influence of raw material properties on rates of use-related wear accrual has often been ackn... more The influence of raw material properties on rates of use-related wear accrual has often been acknowledged, but rarely assessed quantitatively. This paper offers such quantification regarding three varieties of chert and one of silicified wood exploited during the occupation of the Late Archaic FA2-13 site in northwestern New Mexico. The results show significant differences between rates of wear accrual among these four materials and therefore that caution is necessary when making assertions regarding tool function and use intensity on the basis of wear extent alone. This study also has implications for assessing use-related reduction of both shortand long-term use implements.
An assemblage of prehistoric Huron chipped stone tools has been analyzed in terms of its inherent... more An assemblage of prehistoric Huron chipped stone tools has been analyzed in terms of its inherently dynamic properties. It is hypothesized that the series of measurements and ratios that has been developed is more efficient than existing systems for gauging the changing nature of these implements over time. The statistical evaluation of the data revealed strong linear relationships between various pairs of variables, such as projectile point length and tip angle and end scraper bit edge angles and bit height. It was found that comparing these data to other attributes of these tools, such as use-wear traces and reduction techniques, can be very informative about how each category of tools changed through manufacture, use, and maintenance. The results of this analysis were then compared to those of a more traditional study of a contemporaneous collection of Huron stone tools (Poulton, 1985), demonstrating the utility of the techniques developed.
This paper presents the latest results of an ongoing research initiative into the role of lithic ... more This paper presents the latest results of an ongoing research initiative into the role of lithic raw material variability in use-wear formation. The present study continues recent exploration of wear formation associated with working dry hide. The work presented here expands on a recently published study of two raw materials from the American Southwest (San Juan Fossiliferous Chert (SJF) and Yellow Silicified Wood (YSW)) by presenting the analysis of two additional materials (Morrison Undifferentiated Gray Chert (MUG) and Brushy Basin Silicified Siltstone (BB)) using the same quantitative measures from the previous study (area percent, density, average intensity). The methods used have broad geographic and temporal applicability, thus the potential for contributing to greater standardization in the quantification of archaeological use-wear.
Although previous use-wear studies involving quartz and quartzite have been undertaken by archaeo... more Although previous use-wear studies involving quartz and quartzite have been undertaken by archaeologists, these are comparatively few in number. Moreover, there has been relatively little effort to quantify use-wear on stone tools made from quartzite. The purpose of this article is to determine the effectiveness of a measurement system, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), to document the surface roughness or texture of experimental Mistassini quartzite scrapers used on two different contact materials (fresh and dry deer hide). As in previous studies using LSCM on chert, flint, and obsidian, this exploratory study incorporates a mathematical algorithm that permits the discrimination of surface roughness based on comparisons at multiple scales. Specifically, we employ measures of relative area (RelA) coupled with the F-test to discriminate used from unused stone tool surfaces, as well as surfaces of quartzite scrapers used on dry and fresh deer hide. Our results further demonstrate the effect of raw material variation on use-wear formation and its documentation using LSCM and RelA. SCANNING 00: 1-12, 2012.
This study is part of an ongoing research initiative designed to further standardize the collecti... more This study is part of an ongoing research initiative designed to further standardize the collection and evaluation of use-wear data through the use of a combination of digital image, GIS, and nanoindentation analyses. The focus of the present paper is on using digital imaging analysis to evaluate the role of intraraw material variability in use-wear formation by experimentally making and using five flake scrapers made from San Juan Fossiliferous chert (SJF) and five made from Yellow Silicified Wood (YSW). Both raw materials were commonly used in prehistoric northwestern New Mexico. The results of Clemex digital image analysis show that there is variation in use-wear accrual rates between the five SJF flake scrapers and between the five YSW flake scrapers. They also show that the degree of this variation differs between SJF and YSW. It is argued that understanding this variability is a key element in clarifying the nature of use-wear formation and therefore in improving the reliability of its archaeological interpretation.
This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science that considers the... more This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science that considers the current state and future directions in lithic microwear analysis. There is considerable potential for lithic microwear analysis to reconstruct past human behaviour as it can provide direct insight into past activities. Consequently, it is a technique worthy of significant additional investment and continued development. To further the cause of methodological maturation within microwear analysis and to promote standardization, calibration, and innovation, the following collection of papers present various approaches and perspectives on how greater methodological refinement and increased reliability of results can and should be achieved. Many of these papers were part of a session held at the 2011 Society for American Archaeology Meeting (SAA) in Sacramento, California, while others were selected from the 2012 International Conference on Use-Wear Analysis in Faro, Portugal. The purpose of the SAA session and this special themed issue is essentially two-fold. The first is to promote awareness of the need for methodological standardization, calibration, and continuing innovation. The second is to open a serious dialogue about how these aims could be pursued and achieved.
Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite fo... more Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite for developing more reliable interpretations of use-wear evidence and tool function. We use nanoindentation and use-wear experimentation as a way to measure differences in raw material surface hardness and roughness in order to show that differences in lithic material properties have implications for rates of use-wear accrual.
Few microwear studies have been conducted on tools made from quartzite. Most rely on visual obser... more Few microwear studies have been conducted on tools made from quartzite. Most rely on visual observation of microwear features using optical light microscopes and scanning electron microscopes. Quantification of microwear on quartzite tools is extremely rare, even though numerous methods to mathematically document surface roughness have been applied to other silicate tools. In this paper, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was used to document surface roughness on four experimental scrapers made from two different subtypes of Mistassini quartzite that were used on either fresh or dry deer hide. Surface roughness data were analysed using area-scale fractal complexity (Asfc). The results of this test case indicate that Asfc can effectively discriminate between the unused and used regions on the quartzite tools based on surface roughness, and that it can also discriminate between surface roughness produced by working dry versus fresh hides. Differences in the subtypes of Mistassini quartzite did affect surface roughness, but not significantly enough to prevent discrimination of the dry and fresh hide-working tools. Although the use of the Asfc parameter for lithic microwear analysis requires further testing, these first results suggest it could be a reliable technique to mathematically document and discriminate wear patterns on archaeological quartzite tools.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright Author's personal copy Reaping the rewards: the potential of well designed methodology, a comment on Vardi et al.
Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite fo... more Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite for developing more reliable interpretations of use-wear evidence and tool function. We use nanoindentation and use-wear experimentation as a way to measure differences in raw material surface hardness and roughness in order to show that differences in lithic material properties have implications for rates of use-wear accrual.
The influence of raw material properties on rates of use-related wear accrual has often been ackn... more The influence of raw material properties on rates of use-related wear accrual has often been acknowledged, but rarely assessed quantitatively. This paper offers such quantification regarding three varieties of chert and one of silicified wood exploited during the occupation of the Late Archaic FA2-13 site in northwestern New Mexico. The results show significant differences between rates of wear accrual among these four materials and therefore that caution is necessary when making assertions regarding tool function and use intensity on the basis of wear extent alone. This study also has implications for assessing use-related reduction of both shortand long-term use implements.
An assemblage of prehistoric Huron chipped stone tools has been analyzed in terms of its inherent... more An assemblage of prehistoric Huron chipped stone tools has been analyzed in terms of its inherently dynamic properties. It is hypothesized that the series of measurements and ratios that has been developed is more efficient than existing systems for gauging the changing nature of these implements over time. The statistical evaluation of the data revealed strong linear relationships between various pairs of variables, such as projectile point length and tip angle and end scraper bit edge angles and bit height. It was found that comparing these data to other attributes of these tools, such as use-wear traces and reduction techniques, can be very informative about how each category of tools changed through manufacture, use, and maintenance. The results of this analysis were then compared to those of a more traditional study of a contemporaneous collection of Huron stone tools (Poulton, 1985), demonstrating the utility of the techniques developed.
This paper presents the latest results of an ongoing research initiative into the role of lithic ... more This paper presents the latest results of an ongoing research initiative into the role of lithic raw material variability in use-wear formation. The present study continues recent exploration of wear formation associated with working dry hide. The work presented here expands on a recently published study of two raw materials from the American Southwest (San Juan Fossiliferous Chert (SJF) and Yellow Silicified Wood (YSW)) by presenting the analysis of two additional materials (Morrison Undifferentiated Gray Chert (MUG) and Brushy Basin Silicified Siltstone (BB)) using the same quantitative measures from the previous study (area percent, density, average intensity). The methods used have broad geographic and temporal applicability, thus the potential for contributing to greater standardization in the quantification of archaeological use-wear.
Although previous use-wear studies involving quartz and quartzite have been undertaken by archaeo... more Although previous use-wear studies involving quartz and quartzite have been undertaken by archaeologists, these are comparatively few in number. Moreover, there has been relatively little effort to quantify use-wear on stone tools made from quartzite. The purpose of this article is to determine the effectiveness of a measurement system, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), to document the surface roughness or texture of experimental Mistassini quartzite scrapers used on two different contact materials (fresh and dry deer hide). As in previous studies using LSCM on chert, flint, and obsidian, this exploratory study incorporates a mathematical algorithm that permits the discrimination of surface roughness based on comparisons at multiple scales. Specifically, we employ measures of relative area (RelA) coupled with the F-test to discriminate used from unused stone tool surfaces, as well as surfaces of quartzite scrapers used on dry and fresh deer hide. Our results further demonstrate the effect of raw material variation on use-wear formation and its documentation using LSCM and RelA. SCANNING 00: 1-12, 2012.
This study is part of an ongoing research initiative designed to further standardize the collecti... more This study is part of an ongoing research initiative designed to further standardize the collection and evaluation of use-wear data through the use of a combination of digital image, GIS, and nanoindentation analyses. The focus of the present paper is on using digital imaging analysis to evaluate the role of intraraw material variability in use-wear formation by experimentally making and using five flake scrapers made from San Juan Fossiliferous chert (SJF) and five made from Yellow Silicified Wood (YSW). Both raw materials were commonly used in prehistoric northwestern New Mexico. The results of Clemex digital image analysis show that there is variation in use-wear accrual rates between the five SJF flake scrapers and between the five YSW flake scrapers. They also show that the degree of this variation differs between SJF and YSW. It is argued that understanding this variability is a key element in clarifying the nature of use-wear formation and therefore in improving the reliability of its archaeological interpretation.
This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science that considers the... more This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science that considers the current state and future directions in lithic microwear analysis. There is considerable potential for lithic microwear analysis to reconstruct past human behaviour as it can provide direct insight into past activities. Consequently, it is a technique worthy of significant additional investment and continued development. To further the cause of methodological maturation within microwear analysis and to promote standardization, calibration, and innovation, the following collection of papers present various approaches and perspectives on how greater methodological refinement and increased reliability of results can and should be achieved. Many of these papers were part of a session held at the 2011 Society for American Archaeology Meeting (SAA) in Sacramento, California, while others were selected from the 2012 International Conference on Use-Wear Analysis in Faro, Portugal. The purpose of the SAA session and this special themed issue is essentially two-fold. The first is to promote awareness of the need for methodological standardization, calibration, and continuing innovation. The second is to open a serious dialogue about how these aims could be pursued and achieved.
Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite fo... more Understanding the nature of the physical properties of lithic raw materials is a pre-requisite for developing more reliable interpretations of use-wear evidence and tool function. We use nanoindentation and use-wear experimentation as a way to measure differences in raw material surface hardness and roughness in order to show that differences in lithic material properties have implications for rates of use-wear accrual.
The Keffer Site, 15th and 16th Century A.D. Ontario Woodland Tradition Frontiers, Communities, and Coalescence on the Don and Upper Rouge River Drainages, Southern Ontario, Canada, 2024
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Papers by Harry Lerner