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ABSTRACT:

The author analyses the functionality of typical Oldowan stone tools, using an experimental approach, followed by use wear analysis. The work focuses on the observation of a sample of Early Stone Age rhyolite objects from the Oldowan site of Kanjera South.

The first part of the study concerns the use of rhyolite experimental replicas on different types of organic materials, such as wood, bone, flesh and hide and for different purposes e.g bark removal and flesh cutting, to test the efficiency of the tools and create a macro use wear comparison collection.

The results coming from this experimental phase of the study yielded interesting information about:

- the efficiency of stone tools made of Rhyolite

- the dramatic affection of phenocristals in the use wear development and on the durability of the object margins

- the relationship between size and functionality

- the typology of macro use wears produced by different types of material and actions

In a following phase of the analysis an archaeological sample of rhyolite stone tools coming from Kanjera South was examined with the aim to individuate and describe possible macro use wear traces present on the object margins.

The results, compared with the data from the observation of the experimental objects, confirmed the former hypothesis regarding the role of phenocristals in use wear development and object efficiency, the relationship between size of the tool and functionality and also yielded information about the type of materials the tools were used on. AUTHOR: Andrea Zupancich

AUTHOR: Andrea Zupancich

REFEREE: Cristina Lemorini

UNIVERSITY: Sapienza Università di Roma. Department of Scienze dell'Antichità.

DATE OF GRADUATION: 2010
 
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2011

DEGREE: Laurea Triennale (B.A.)  

LANGUAGE: ITALIAN