BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIVISION An Experimental Approach to Chalcolithic Sickle Blade Production: The Case of Beit-Eshel Workshop THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS Emil Aladjem UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF: Prof. Isaac Gilead November 2009 BEN- GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIVISION THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS An Experimental Approach to Chalcolithic Sickle Blade Production: The Case of Beit-Eshel Workshop UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF : Prof. Isaac Gilead Signature of student: ________________ Date: _________ Signature of supervisor: ________________ Date: _________ Signature of chairperson Of the committee for graduate studies: ________________ Date: _________ November 2009 2 ABSTRACT The identification of craft specialization in the Chalcolithic period is a cardinal part of our understanding of the socio-economic structure of this culture in the southern Levant. Several unique craft specialization techniques were developed during the Chalcolithic period some that may have been developed as a direct result of the secondary products revolution which occurred during this time. One of the indicators for craft specialization are specified production areas, an example of which is the case presented in this study of the Beit Eshel flint blade workshop. The Beit Eshel site was excavated during the year 2003 and was identified as the most prolific flint blade production industry in our region. Since its discovery a number of studies were carried out with the aim of discerning the skill and proficiency of the craftsmen and the various techniques employed by them at the site. These studies have focused primarily on the understanding of the methodology used for the production of the flint blades and their reduction sequences based solely on the ancient finds. Alternatively, the present study is an attempt to enhance our knowledge of the techniques used at the site not only through the examination of the actual artifacts, but also by utilizing an experimental approach. A variety of techniques have been identified for the production of flint tools during prehistoric times. The complexity of a technique is indicative of the level of efficiency, specialization and craftsmanship of the flint knapper. The three major techniques of flint knapping techniques which have been defined are: the hard hammer percussion, the soft hammer percussion and the indirect percussion. These techniques are recognizable through specific attributes that appear on the resulting artifacts. Examples can be seen in patterns on the striking platforms and the profiles of the blades. Unfortunately these attributes can, at times, be difficult to recognize and may be deceptive. Therefore, additional ways of analyzing the methods employed in the production of flint tools are crucial for our understanding of the knapping techniques used at the site of Beit Eshel. The field of experimental archaeology offers us widely accepted solutions for this problem by replication of ancient tools and techniques. In this thesis a number of flint knapping experiments were carried out on the basis of the most common flint knapping techniques, which have been noted above. The blades and flakes that were experimentally knapped utilizing the hard hammer percussion, soft hammer percussion and the indirect percussion techniques were compared to the sample from the actual flint blade and 3 flake assemblage from the site of Beit Eshel. At the first stage of the comparative study the metric attribute averages (width, length and thickness) were measured and compared to the same attributes in the actual assemblage. The second stage of the study focused on the correlations of the non-metric attributes. In this stage the affects of the size of the striking platform on the metric attributes of the blades and flakes was analyzed and compared to the ancient assemblage. The results of the comparative study indicate that there are extreme difficulties in identifying the actual technique use in the flint knapping industry at the Beit Eshel site. The results of the experiments were not conclusive, for instance, they showed that one set of attributes favored one of the techniques and yet another set of attributes gave preference to another, on the same flint tool produced. There is however, a slight prevalence towards the hard hammer direct percussion technique, but the evidence does not entirely support the conclusion that it was the main technique used at the site. However, other evidence in supports the use of the hard hammer direct percussion technique at the site of Beit Eshel. This evidence was discovered on the face of numerous limestone cobbles that were identified as hammerstones. As part of the research process a classification of hammerstones discovered at Beit Eshel was carried out. This classification, which was based on size and shape indicated, that in all probability, different types of hammerstones were used at different stages of the operational sequence. It has been shown that the big hammerstones were used firstly for the opening of flakes; the middle sized hammerstones were used for the removal of the blades and the smallest hammerstones for retouching the blades and transforming them into sickle blades. The specific shape of the hammerstones was most likely a personal choice of the flint knapper. The preference of the shape of the hammerstone could be an indication of the level of proficiency of the various flint knappers working at the site. The most striking example is the presence of abrading stones whose circumference was shaped by abrading marks; these stones were used for the preparation of the striking platform and are most likely a tool used only by specialist. All of the knocked-off flakes that originated from the use of the hammerstones of the Beit Eshel assemblage were collected, sorted and measured. Certain types were probably produced by specialist craftsmen while others were more likely the result of the work of an apprentice. The breakage pattern of the hammerstones may be a possible indication for the efficiency and professional level of the flint knappers of the site. 4 The high skill level of the flint knappers from Beit Eshel is attested to in the high quality of the blade assemblage found at the site. Nevertheless, according to the hammerstone assemblage, it is hard to believe, that a sophisticated flint knapping technique was utilized at the site, hence it is hard to support the idea that a full time specialization was present at that site. Possibly it was a part time seasonal activity that took place incongruence with the harvesting season and required a big number of sickle blades. The methodology and analysis conducted in the present study could be instrumental for future works on the topic of recognition and classification of hammerstone and hammerstone knocked-off flakes dated to the Chalcolithic as well as other prehistoric periods. 5 Table of contents Abstract-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 List of Figures---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 List of Tables-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 1. Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 1.1. Goal of research-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 1.2. Beit Eshel Chalcolithic site----------------------------------------------------------------------11 1.3. Chalcolithic flint tools research background------------------------------------------------13 1.4. Experimental approach history----------------------------------------------------------------14 2. Methodology---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 2.1. Question of research-------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 2.2. Forces which affect the formation of flakes and studied attributes-------------------------15 2.3. Experimental flint knapping---------------------------------------------------------------------17 3. Experimental flint knapping-------------------------------------------------------------------------20 3.1. Knapping methods--------------------------------------------------------------------------------20 3.1.1. Raw material acquisition-----------------------------------------------------------------------20 3.1.2. Hard hammer direct percussion---------------------------------------------------------------22 3.1.3. Soft hammer percussion------------------------------------------------------------------------22 3.1.4. Indirect percussion------------------------------------------------------------------------------24 3.2. Element of Attribute Analysis-------------------------------------------------------------------25 3.2.1. Length---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26 3.2.2. Witdth---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26 3.2.3. Thickness------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26 3.2.4. Striking platform size----------------------------------------------------------------------------26