"Vaughan's monograph provides a thorough treatment of the high-power microscopic approach to lithic use-wear analysis and will contribute to the resolution of this issue. An excellent introduction to the subject"--North American Arcaeologist.

"This important new methodologically-oriented work represents a major step forward in the expanding field of traceological studies. . . . The text is exceptionally well written and documented. Schematic artifacts line drawings . . . clearly indicate different use zones on edges and are preceded by a coded use-type key. The 280 x photomicrographs in section III are exceptional as is also the presentation of qualitative and quantitative data."--American Antiquity "Vaughan's monograph provides a thorough treatment of the high-power microscopic approach to lithic use-wear analysis and will contribute to the resolution of this issue. . . . An excellent introduction to the subject."--North American Arcaeologist

Quartzite is a particularly frequently used lithology for knapping stone tools throughout all stages of human evolution. Despite this, however, there is a surprising lack of detailed methodological research on the formation and appearance of use-wear on this type of rock. As such, this book fills in a gap in the research, and proposes a new method to analyse use-wear on quartzite, by evaluating the variability of use-wear appearance on different rock varieties. This book is conceived as a handbook for the application of microwear analysis on quartzite, and is addressed to both students and lithic use-wear analysists. The extreme surface irregularities of quartzite, mainly due to its microcrystalline structure and the diverse orientation of quartz crystals surfaces, have always been regarded as a major obstacle when applying use-wear analysis. As shown here, the use of scanning electron microscopy allows this and other obstacles when observing highly reflective surfaces, such as quartzite, to be overcome.

This book surveys the archaeological record for stone tools from the earliest times to 6,500 years ago in the Near East.

A detailed overview of the Eastern African stone tools that make up the world's longest archaeological record.

An updated edition of the essential reference for the study of ground stone artifacts

Designing Experimental Research in Archaeology is a guide for the design of archaeological experiments for both students and scholars. Experimental archaeology provides a unique opportunity to corroborate conclusions with multiple trials of repeatable experiments and can provide data otherwise unavailable to archaeologists without damaging sites, remains, or artifacts. Each chapter addresses a particular classification of material culture-ceramics, stone tools, perishable materials, composite hunting technology, butchering practices and bone tools, and experimental zooarchaeology-detailing issues that must be considered in the development of experimental archaeology projects and discussing potential pitfalls. The experiments follow coherent and consistent research designs and procedures and are placed in a theoretical context, and contributors outline methods that will serve as a guide in future experiments. This degree of standardization is uncommon in traditional archaeological research but is essential to experimental archaeology. The field has long been in need of a guide that focuses on methodology and design. This book fills that need not only for undergraduate and graduate students but for any archaeologist looking to begin an experimental research project.

This fully updated and revised edition of William Andrefsky Jr's ground-breaking manual on lithic analysis is designed for students and professional archaeologists. It explains the fundamental principles of the measurement, recording and analysis of stone tools and stone tool production debris. Introducing the reader to lithic raw materials, classification, terminology and key concepts, the volume comprehensively explores methods and techniques, presenting detailed case studies of lithic analysis from around the world. It also examines new emerging techniques and includes a new section on stone tool functional studies.

Book & CD-ROM. This is a comprehensive investigation into the different ways in which archaeologists use flaked stone artefacts as a basis for reconstructing the distant human past. The authors not only describe the range of flaked stone artefact forms recovered from Australian archaeological sites, but also place Australian studies alongside the major international theories surrounding the description of stone artefacts. The book features: extensive analysis, clear and succinct definitions of technical terms and extensive use of illustrations; worked examples illustrating how collections of flakes, cores and rolls are analysed and interpreted; over 130 black-and-white labelled images of actual artefacts; an accompanying CD-ROM featuring over 450 colour images of artefacts; an up-to-date review of key theoretical approaches to flaked stone artefact analysis; an assessment of this historical development of Australian stone artefact studies; Australian perspective on the major international theoretical debates in the often controversial area of stone artefact studies.

Not everyone bought into the Bronze Age right away, and Rosen describes and classifies the stone tools that continued to be made and used in the Middle East for the next two thousand years. He considers subtypes, function, distribution, chronology, the organization of production, styles, the relationship between lithic and metal technology, and other aspects. Over 100 drawings and maps provide archaeologists with a guide to identifying finds. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR