A multi-analytical methodology of lithic residue analysis applied to Paleolithic tools from Hummal, Syria

Gilliane F. Monnier; Thomas C. Hauck; Joshua M. Feinberg; Bing Luo; Jean Marie Le Tensorer; Heba al Sakhel

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.03.018

A multi-analytical methodology of lithic residue analysis applied to Paleolithic tools from Hummal, Syria

Gilliane F. Monnier, Thomas C. Hauck, Joshua M. Feinberg, Bing Luo, Jean Marie Le Tensorer, Heba al Sakhel

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54 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lithic residue analysis is traditionally based upon the morphological identification of microresidues preserved on the surfaces of stone tools. In order to improve the reliability of these identifications, we apply multiple techniques beyond morphological description to characterize the residues on stone tools from Hummal, Syria. We first document the residues using visible light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and then characterize them using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared microscopy, and confocal Raman microscopy. Our analyses confirm that some of the residues are bitumen. X-ray diffraction analysis of associated sediments is used to identify the other residues.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3722-3739
Number of pages	18
Journal	Journal of Archaeological Science
Volume	40
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.03.018
State	Published - Oct 2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We dedicate this article to the people of Syria and their long and rich cultural heritage. The laboratory research reported here was funded by a University of Minnesota Grant-in-Aid to G. Monnier. It was carried out at the University of Minnesota, in the following facilities: the Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratories in the Anthropology Department, College of Liberal Arts; the College of Biological Sciences Imaging Center; the Institute of Technology Characterization Facility, a member of the NSF-funded Materials Research Facilities Network; and the Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Science and Engineering. Excavations at Hummal were funded by the Swiss National Foundation , the Tell Arida Foundation and the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft in Basel, Switzerland . We thank the General Directorate of Syrian Antiquities and the Museum of Palmyra for their permission to conduct this research. We also thank the following individuals for their help: Gail Celio, Jinping Dong, Ellery Frahm, Jammi Ladwig, Vincent Monnier, Mark Sanders, John Soderberg, Gil Tostevin. Special thanks to Steve Weiner for many hours of discussion and helpful advice. Many thanks to Samantha Porter for making the figures. Finally, thanks to two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions they provided.

Keywords

Confocal Raman microscopy
Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
Fourier transform infrared microscopy
Lithic residue analysis
Microscopy
Middle Paleolithic
Scanning electron microscopy
Syria
X-ray diffraction

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title = "A multi-analytical methodology of lithic residue analysis applied to Paleolithic tools from Hummal, Syria",

abstract = "Lithic residue analysis is traditionally based upon the morphological identification of microresidues preserved on the surfaces of stone tools. In order to improve the reliability of these identifications, we apply multiple techniques beyond morphological description to characterize the residues on stone tools from Hummal, Syria. We first document the residues using visible light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and then characterize them using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared microscopy, and confocal Raman microscopy. Our analyses confirm that some of the residues are bitumen. X-ray diffraction analysis of associated sediments is used to identify the other residues.",

keywords = "Confocal Raman microscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared microscopy, Lithic residue analysis, Microscopy, Middle Paleolithic, Scanning electron microscopy, Syria, X-ray diffraction",

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note = "Funding Information: We dedicate this article to the people of Syria and their long and rich cultural heritage. The laboratory research reported here was funded by a University of Minnesota Grant-in-Aid to G. Monnier. It was carried out at the University of Minnesota, in the following facilities: the Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratories in the Anthropology Department, College of Liberal Arts; the College of Biological Sciences Imaging Center; the Institute of Technology Characterization Facility, a member of the NSF-funded Materials Research Facilities Network; and the Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Science and Engineering. Excavations at Hummal were funded by the Swiss National Foundation , the Tell Arida Foundation and the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft in Basel, Switzerland . We thank the General Directorate of Syrian Antiquities and the Museum of Palmyra for their permission to conduct this research. We also thank the following individuals for their help: Gail Celio, Jinping Dong, Ellery Frahm, Jammi Ladwig, Vincent Monnier, Mark Sanders, John Soderberg, Gil Tostevin. Special thanks to Steve Weiner for many hours of discussion and helpful advice. Many thanks to Samantha Porter for making the figures. Finally, thanks to two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions they provided.",

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A multi-analytical methodology of lithic residue analysis applied to Paleolithic tools from Hummal, Syria

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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