Natural chemical processes in soils produce glossy conditions on artifacts of flint and chert that mimic, modify, or destroy ancient use-wear traces, thus making affected artifacts difficult or unacceptable for microwear studies. These glosses include general gloss patina or soil sheen, and intensely brilliant specular spots. The information presented suggests that this enigmatic “bright spot” phenomenon is the result of deposition and solidification of silica gel precipitated from soil colloids in the artifact's in situ environment and should not be confused with ancient use-wear evidence.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
DiamondGeorge1979The Nature of So-Called Polished Surfaces on Stone Artifacts, in Lithic Use-Wear Analysis, HaydenB. (ed.), Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 159–166.
2.
DreesL. RichardWildingLarry P.SmeckNeil E., and SenkayiAbu L.1989Silica in Soils: Quartz and Disordered Silica Polymorphs, in Minerals in Soil Environments, DixonJ. B. and WeedS. B. (eds.), Soil Science Society of America, Madison, pp. 913–965.
3.
GovettG. J. S.1966Origin of Banded Iron Formations, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 77, pp. 1191–1197, 1199–1211.
4.
HeizerRobert F. and CookSherburne F. (eds.) 1960The Application of Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology 28, New York.
5.
HolmesD. L.1987Problems Encountered in a High-Power Microwear Study of Some Egyptian Predynastic Lithic Artifacts, in The Human Uses of Flint and Chert, SievekingG. and NewcomerM. H. (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 91–96.
6.
HoneaK.1964The Patination of Stone Artifacts, Plains Anthropologist, 9, pp. 14–17.
7.
HowardCalvin D.1994Natural Indicators of Lithic Artifact Authenticity, North American Archaeologist, 15:4, pp. 321–330.
8.
KammingaJohan1979The Nature of Use-Polish and Abrasive Smoothing on Stone Tools, in Lithic Use-Wear Analysis, HaydenB. (ed.), Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 143–157.
9.
KeeleyLawrence H.1980Experimental Determination of Stone Tool Uses, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.
10.
KellyA. R. and HurstVernon J.1956Patination and Age Relationship in South Georgia Flint, American Antiquity, 22, pp. 193–194.
11.
KrauskopfKonrad B. and BirdDennis K.1967Introduction to Geochemistry, WCB Mcgraw-Hill, Boston.
12.
Levi SalaIrene1986Use-Wear and Post-Depositional Surface Modification: A Word of Caution, Journal of Archaeological Science, 13, pp. 229–244.
13.
LimbreySusan1975Soil Science and Archaeology, Academic Press, London.
14.
LuedtkeBarbara E.1992An Archaeologist's Guide to Chert and Flint, University of California, Los Angeles.
15.
MossE. H.1983The Functional Analysis of Flint Implements, British Archaeological Reports, International Series 177, Oxford.
16.
RottlanderR.1975The Formation of Patina on Flint, Archaeometry, 17, pp. 106–110.
17.
RottlanderR.1976Some Aspects of the Patination of Flint, Second International Symposium on Flint, Staringia, 3, pp. 54–56.
18.
SchifferMichael B.1983Toward the Identification of Formation Processes, American Antiquity, 48, pp. 675–706.
19.
SemenovS. A.1964Prehistoric Technology, ThompsonM. (trans.), Adams and Dart, Bath, England.
20.
ShepherdW.1972Flint: Its Origins, Properties and Uses, Faber and Faber, London.
21.
SieverRaymond1962Silica Solubility, 0-220 Degree C, and the Diagenesis of Siliceous Sediments, Journal of Geology, 70:2, pp. 127–150.
22.
StapertD.1976Some Natural Surface Modifications on Flint in the Netherlands, Palaeohistoria, 18, pp. 7–41.
23.
VaughanPatrick C.1981Lithic Microwear Experimentation and the Functional Analysis of a Lower Magdalenian Stone Tool Assemblage, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
24.
VaughanPatrick C.1985Use-Wear Analysis of Flaked Stone Tools, University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
25.
WitthoftJohn1967Glazed Polish on Flint Tools, American Antiquity, 32, pp. 383–388.
