LITHIC ANALYSIS

STONE AGE CRATHES

Uncovering one of the largest Mesolithic Sites in the UK

For detailed analysis select lithic type
Microliths Microliths Cores Cores Flakes and Blades Flakes and Blades Non-Mesolithic Non-Mesolithic Scrapers Scrapers
Information recorded for all finds Year, site, field number, grid reference, date when found and finder’s intials Attributes recorded for all the lithics Material: (almost exclusively flint), + notes on quality, inclusions, flaws Colour + notes (see General Results, Colour) Burnt: yes (cracked or crazed), slightly burnt (red tinges), or no Cortex: yes / no, colour, chatter marks Size: Using a graded series of circles Weight: weighed to 0.01gm (Scout Pro up to 200gm) Type: based on Torben Ballin Types Flake: a piece removed from a nodule or core with one identifiable ventral surface (including ‘ chips’, flakes smaller than 10.0mm) Blade: flake with length equal to or twice the maximum width, parallel edges and ridges Core: a piece with only dorsal surfaces produced by removal of three or more flakes Split pebble: with fewer than three flakes removed Tool/Retouched (scraper, arrowhead, microlith, microburin) Indeterminate fragment: unidentifiable as either a flake or a core Chunk: a larger indeterminate piece Other attributes recorded in addition where relevant
Almost 10,000 flints were collected during this project. I used Microsoft Excel for cataloguing, recording attributes and processing the data.
Flakes Whole, almost whole, Platform remnant width, depth Platform preparation: abrasion, heavy abrasion, trimmed Termination: feathered, hinged, plunging Cortex, postion and percentage of dorsal surface Ridges: number and position Length, at right angles to platform, max width, max thickness Fragment: Proximal, medial, distal, proximal+medial, medial+distal, split As above, where possible, but not measured, and cortex recorded as yes/no
Blades Whole, almost whole As for whole, almost whole flakes where possible Fragments: length equal to or twice maximum width Probable fragments: length more than two thirds maximum width Possible fragments: length less than two-thirds msaximum width
Single platform cores Whole/almost whole Length, at right angle to the platform Platform width parallel to the face Platform depth at right angle to the face Number of removals Type of removals (flake, blade, long flake) Cortex amount and position Percentage of platform edge worked Longest face length Reason for abandoning Angle between platform and face Morphology (e.g, pyramidal, cylindrical) Damaged, broken As for ‘whole, almost whole’ where possible More than one platform As for ‘other cores’ (below) Other cores No definite platform Length (longest dimension) Width (second longest dimension at right angle to length) Thickness (third longest dimension at right angles to width) Number of removals Type of removals Cortex, amount and position Morphology Split pebbles As for ‘other cores’ where possible, and/or brief description
© Copyright 2019 Heather M Sabnis
Reference for the Lithics Analysis page Torben Ballin 2013. Nethermills Farm, Banchory, Aberdeenshire. The Lithic Assemblage. 46 pages.