Lithics 3

Argues that in research there should be a continual process of questioning, data collection and revision of questions, rather than either obsessive fact-gathering or needless question-asking. With regard to the study of stone implements, there has been too much emphasis on the petrological and archaeological sources of artefacts and their measurable qualities, and economic studies have been over-simplified through the use of such physical data to create models of trade and exchange. It is argued that those who made and used stone tools understood their resources from a different perspective than that obtained through modern scientific analysis, and that the researcher should be approaching broader questions of social organisation and change through integrated study encompassing the function of objects in society, rather than through the simple mapping of types or petrological groups. LD

Short paper drawing attention to some pebble tools which occur on coastal sites in the South Hams area of Devon. The source of the quartzite pebbles is mentioned, and illustrations show a typical example of a pebble-chopper and a primary waste flake. The tools have the appearance of very primitive implements; however, the tools themselves and the flakes detached in their manufacture occur together, in unrolled condition, in shallow ploughsoil. Other accompanying artefacts flaked from beach pebble material range from Mesolithic to Neolithic in age, and it may be presumed that the choppers are contemporary, and represent the heavy equipment of a poor coastal community. LD

Notes some basic principles for the illustration of lithic artefacts in a way that conveys some impression of the character of the material, focusing on coarser stones rather than flint or obsidian. A series of illustrations cover samples of line type suitable for three broad types of stone. A final note concerns African and southeast Asian material, which can include extremely irregularly fracturing rocks such as quartz and lava. LD

Short note describing the author's technique for producing well-flaked scraper ends from unpromising cobbles. Apart from wear and patination, these products are almost indistinguishable from the genuine article. Although this does not demonstrate that the method was actually used in prehistoric times, it may nonetheless have some relevance in south Devon where many artefacts are made from beach pebble material. LD