Analyses of stone tools and other lithic material

Henrik Jansson and professor Ari Siiriäinen studying lithic finds (FJHP/1999).

Not only stone tools but also the waste created during their manufacture should be considered an important archaeological material to study. Stone tools were used for a very long time in human history and therefore they provide a good opportunity to learn about the temporal changes in human behaviour, as represented by changes in technology and utilization of tools. Thanks to the durability of stone material the preservation of stone tools is excellent. There are many ways and methods to study stone tools and the debris from the manufacturing process. These are often complementary and therefore can provide a complex picture of the past lifeways and technologies. Currently, it is common that archaeologists study the entire “life cycle” of lithic material, from locating the raw material, through the procurement, manufacture and use, and up to the final abandonment of the artefacts. Furthermore, by studying the origin of the raw material it is possible to understand the patterns of human mobility and the mechanisms of exchange and interraction between the individuals and communities. The way lithics were reduced and tools produced can provide valuable information on their cultural affiliation and utilization. The lithic material found during the FJHP fieldwork includes some artefacts from the Lower Palaeolithic period (from the earliest use of tools until ca . 200 000 years ago). The Middle Palaeolithic (ca. 200 000 - 40 000 years ago)  is well attested in the assemblage as well as many implements dating from period of the last 10 000 years. The latest tone artefacts found by the FJHP include a few flint, fire-making devices  from the excavation of the monastery.