Българско е-Списание за Археология (Dec 2017)
Ground stone tools from the Late Neolithic site Hlebozavoda, Nova Zagora district
Abstract
The materials from the Late Neolithic site Hlebozavoda provide important information about the changes in the ground stone tool production as well as their use during the occupation of the site. The analyses of the raw materials, together with the study of production techniques, the artefacts’ particularities and their stratigraphic position have strongly suggested that although ground stone tools production was taking place at the site, it was not an important part of its economy. Two finds are of special interest: a fragment of quartz adze and a fragment of marble mace head. These two artefacts are not common in the Late Neolithic and most probably have a representative or symbolic character. The raw material of the mace head is most probably imported from the region around Topolovgard and Elhovo, some 55 km to the southeast from the site. Considering the data from the separate building horizons, a steady decline of ground stone tool production and use is observed. This situation may account for the restriction of the raw material supply area and the resulting use of limited rock types. On the basis of the accumulated data and observations about the separate occupation stages, we believe that this state of affairs is related to the slow decline of the settlement.
