AN 352
ANALYSIS OF LITHIC TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday, 3-6 PM
288 Davenport Hall
Office hours: T, Th 12:30-2, or by appt.
Spring 2003
Dr. Stanley H. Ambrose
Office: 381 Davenport Hall
244-3504; ambrose@uiuc.edu
SYLLABUS
Stones and bones modified and/or transported by prehistoric humans are two of the most durable and
abundant classes of archaeological evidence for human behavior. Stone artifacts can provide insight
into the evolution of human behavior and cultural capacity, and can serve as markers of human
technological progress, mental capacities, tracers of people and information across ancient landscapes,
monitors of economic and activities, indicators of intra-site space use and organization, and cultural and
chronological markers. In order to take advantage of these potentials one must first be able to
differentiate natural from human-induced modification and transport, have a clear understanding of the
physical properties of bone and stone raw materials, and of principles and techniques of artifact
manufacture, identification, classification, description, measurement and data presentation.
Modification of bones by stone tools, techniques of manufacture of bone tools and natural versus
human modification of bones will also be examined. The lectures, readings, discussions, and practical
laboratory exercises are designed to teach you how to acquire the basic skills of the lithic analyst and
ultimately "squeeze blood from stones" (and bones) in a way that will permit you to construct
hypotheses to test models of prehistoric human behavior.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance of all labs and lectures is required. You must have good vision in both eyes to closely
examine and correctly interpret lithic and bone modification and to make and use stone tools without
injuries. If you need glasses or a change in prescription, please do it before the next lab meeting.
Grading will be based on (1) participation in class discussions, a (2) midterm and (3) final exam, (4)
occasional quizzes, lab exercises, (5) lithic artifact illustrations and (6) the accuracy, completeness and
organization of the laboratory notebook. The notebook should contain lecture notes, drawings of
artifacts, other lab assignments and handouts. Drawings and notebook will comprise about 20% of
your grade. The midterm exam will be closed book. The final exam will be "open book". Both have a
substantial emphasis on artifact identification.
Required texts: Kooyman, Brian P. (2000) Understanding Stone Tools and Archaeological Sites. U.
New Mexico Press & U. Calgary Press.
Inizan, M.-L., Reduron-Ballinger, M., Roche, H., and Tixier, J. (1999) Technology and Terminology of
Knapped Stone. Préhistoire de la Pierre Taillée, Tome 5. Nanterre: CREP.
Required and optional readings: on reserve in the Education Library and listed by # below.
Lab Manual: A Manual of Lithic Technology, Techniques, Classification and Typologies. Available
at Notes-N-Quotes, in Johnstown Center. It will be used mainly towards the latter half of the course.
LAB MATERIALS: 3-Ring notebook binder for lecture notes, lab exercises, handouts.
Bandaids and gloves For stone flaking. Eye protection safety goggles will be provided.
Artifact illustration: Ruler, fine- and very fine-point marking pens or a fine pen nib (Crow-Quill)
Page 1
AN 352
ANALYSIS OF LITHIC TECHNOLOGY
Spring 2003
and black ink for inking in drawings; fine point (0.3 mm) or otherwise sharp pencil for initial sketching
of artifacts; good transparent (tracing) drawing paper.
Artifact measurements: metric graph paper; metric ruler; two protractors with perforations at the
midpoint of the straight side.
Calculator with statistical functions (Mean and Standard Deviation), or access to a computer with
statistical functions (Excel, etc).
Page 2
AN 352
ANALYSIS OF LITHIC TECHNOLOGY
Spring 2003
LECTURE/LAB SCHEDULE
21 January
Introduction and overview; Why Study Stone Artifacts? The roles of lithic analysis in
archaeology. Read #1 (Isaac), Kooyman, Chapter 1; Inizan Introduction.
Properties of lithic raw materials. Refer to #23 (Rosenfeld); Natural and human modification of stone.
Inizan chaps. 1-2. Read #3 (Barnes) #4 (Jones) and #22 (Patterson); Kooyman, Chapter 3.
28 January
Percussion flaking techniques: principles, demonstration and experimentation. Read
Kooyman, chapter 2 & 7; refer to #24 (Crabtree), #25 (chapters 6-8 in Hayden [ed] 1979);Inizan
chapters. 3-4. Bring bandaids and gloves.
4 February
Flintknapping continued; examination and classification of your results. Retouch and
trimming types and techniques; Grinding, polishing, pecking and heat-treating stone. Read Kooyman
chapter 5; #6 (Rick & Chappell); #7 (Hayden); #26 (Hayden 1987: From chopper to celt), #27 (Toth,
Clark & Ligabue 1992: The Last Stone Axe Makers). Bring bandaids and gloves.
11 February Techniques of illustration of basic features of stone artifacts; Illustration of basic
technical features of percussion-flaked forms. Read #5 (Chase). Bring drawing equipment.
18 February Bone modification. Practical experimentation with flaking bone and using stone tools to
work wood and other materials. Read #8 (Bunn); #28 (Blumenschine and Selvaggio 1987); #29
(Behrensmeyer et al. 1986). WEAR OLD CLOTHING!
25 February Determination of stone tool function: experimentation, analogy, edge-damage,
microwear and chemical analysis. Experimental replication of use wear. Read Kooyman chapter 11;
#2 (Loy); #15 (Cahen et al.) #16 (Hayden), #30 (Keeley & Newcomer 1977).
4 March
MIDTERM EXAM: Closed book.
Bring the Lab Manual of Lithic Technology to all classes after the midterm exam.
11 March Artifact attributes and types: discovery, definition, description and metrical analysis;
Graphic display of typological data. Read Andrefsky, 4, 6 & 7; #1 (Isaac) #9 (Wilmsen); #10 (Lewin)
#11 (Toth) #34 (Sellet). Bring measuring tools and Lithic Typology manual.
18 March Assemblage classification and description; style; Interpretation of assemblage composition
and interassemblage variability: Cultural versus functional differences. Read Kooyman chapter 8 & 9;
#12, #14 (Wiessner); #13 (Sackett); #31 (Dibble); Lithic Typology manual.
Spring Break
1 April
Lower Paleolithic industries: Typology, assemblage composition, classification and
illustration. Refer to #11 (Toth 1985); read Kooyman chapter 6; #32 (Toth 1987) #37 (Ambrose 2001);
Typology manual.
8 April
Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age industries: Typology, assemblage composition,
classification and illustration; Lithic Typology manual.
15 April Upper Paleolithic/Later Stone Age/Mesolithic/American/Neolithic industries: Typology,
assemblage composition, classification and illustration; Lithic Typology manual.
29 April-6 May Conjoining and size-sorting as indices of disturbance; Behavioral inferences from
intra-site distribution patterns; Land-use patterns from regional artifact density and distribution
patterns. Raw material source use as an indicator of mobility patterns and information exchange. Refer
to #15 (Cahen et al.); Read Kooyman chapter 4, 10 & 12; #17-21 (Schiffer, Wilmsen, Gould, Thomas,
Binford), #33 (Ambrose and Lorenz), #35 (Shott), #36 (Blades), # 38 (Ambrose).
FINAL EXAM. May 10 (Saturday), 1:30-4:30
Page 3
AN 352
ANALYSIS OF LITHIC TECHNOLOGY
Spring 2003
Reference textbooks and major works.
Addington, L. (1986) Lithic Illustration. University of Chicago Press.
Andrefsky, W., Jr. (1998) Lithics. Macroscopic approaches to Analysis. Cambrdge U. Press.
Bordaz, Jaques (1970) Tools of the Old and New Stone Age. Natural History Press, NY.
Bordes, François (1968) The Old Stone Age. McGraw-Hill, NY.
Carr, P.J. (1994) The Organization of North American Prehistoric Chipped Stone Tool Technologies.
International Monographs in Prehistory, Archaeological Series 7, Ann Arbor, MI.
Collins, Michael B. (1999) Clovis Blade Technology. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Crabtree, Donald E. (1982) An Introduction to Flintworking. 2nd edition. Idaho State University
Museum Occasional Papers no. 28, Pocatello, Idaho.
DeRegnacout, T., Georgiady, J. (1998) Prehistoric Chert Types of the Midwest. Upper Miami Valley
Archaeological Research Museum, Occasional Monograph Series No. 7. Arcanum, Ohio.
Dibble, Harold L., Bar-Yosef, Ofer. (1995) The Definition and Interpretation of Levallois Lithic
Technology. Prehistory Press, Madison, WI.
Hayden, Brian (1979) Lithic Use-Wear Analysis.
Academic Press, NY.
Henry, D.O., Odell, G.H. (1989) Alternative Approaches to Lithic Analysis. Archaeological Papers
of the American Anthropological Association No. 1.
Inizan, M-L., Roche, H., Tixier, J. (1992) Technology of Knapped Stone. Cercle de Recherches et
d'Etudes Préhistoriques (CREP), CNRS, Meudon. (Transl. of Préhistoire de la Pierre Taillée, vol.
3).
Keeley. L. (1980) Experimental Determination of Stone Tool Uses. University of Chicago Press.
Kuhn, Steven L. (1995) Mousterian Lithic Technology. Princeton University Press.
Leudtke, Barbara E. (1992) An Archaeologists Guide to Chert and Flint. Institute of Archaeology,
University of California, Los Angeles.
Montet-White, A., Holen, S. (1991) Raw Material Economies among Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers.
University of Kansas, Publications in Anthropology. 19.
Oakley, Kenneth P. (1973) Man the Tool-Maker. University of Chicago Press.
O’Dell, G.H. (1996). Stone Tools: Theoretical Insights into Human Prehistory. Plenum Press, NY.
Rosen, Steven A. (1997) Lithics After the Stone Age. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek, CA.
Rosenfeld, Andrée (1965) The Inorganic Raw Materials of Antiquity. Praeger, NY.
Schick, K. , Toth, N. (1993) Making Silent Stones Speak. Simon & Schuster, NY.
Semenov, S.A. (1964) Prehistoric Technology. An experimental study of the oldest tools and
artefacts from traces of wear. Translated from Russian by M.W. Thompson. Barnes & Noble,
London.
Swanson, Earl (1975) Lithic Technology. Making and Using Stone Tools. Mouton, The Hague.
Wright, Richard V.S. (1977) Stone Tools as Cultural Markers. Australian Institute of Aboriginal
Studies, Canberra, Humanities Press, NJ.
Page 4