Stones in the fire. Experimental studies on the spatial distribution of thermally altered lithics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v13.n1.23580Keywords:
Thermal alteration, Discard, Hearths, Distribution, ExperimentationAbstract
In this paper we analyze the way in which lithic remains discarded in hearths are distributed. We perform experimentations in which we throw flakes of different sizes into the fire. Once extinguished, we analyzed the dispersal of the fragments generated by the fire. The raw materials are industrial glass and siliceous varieties which come from the Central Plateau of Santa Cruz. Results show that each raw material responds to heat in a different way. However, there are also some tendencies related to the size of the artifacts. Small flakes don’t break much and stay within the hearth. Big flakes, on the other hand, usually break intensely and can expel a great amount of fragments outside the hearth, reaching more than 3 meters of distance. Based on these results, we make suggestions for different contexts in which lithics fall into the fire.
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