Archaeologia Polona (Jan 2018)
Three Stories About the Exploitation of “Chocolate” Flint During the Stone Age in Central Poland
Abstract
This paper argues that, despite the purely physical nature of the process of the creation of blades that later will be components of multi-material tools, this is also like an artistic act. If this is so, the manner in which we discuss the sequence of blade production can be analysed in much the same way as any other narrative works of art, like Greek literature or Shakespearean drama. The article presents three stories about cores that were used for production of blades for tools during the Stone Age, examining the systematic sequence of actions (like the choice of the raw material, core preparation, blade production, repairs of core and discarding of the exhausted core) in the form of a 5-act dramatic structure. We suggest that these five parts or acts of drama are similar to the manner in which, in Stone Age archaeology, we talk about the knapping sequence and goals of blade production. Observation of three blade cores connected with the late Mesolithic and the Early and Middle Neolithic from the central part of Poland provides an opportunity for discussion about the features of those pieces and searching for similarities and differences in the use of “chocolate” flint during the latter part of the Stone Age
