Flaked Lithic Debitage

Carl J. Phagan

Flaked Lithic Debitage

Part of the Dolores Archaeological Program project

Year: 1985

Summary

The Reductive Technologies Group (RTG) was responsible for supporting the broad research goals of the DAP through the implementation of a mid-level research design governing the collection and analysis of data from “artifacts which were manufactured by reductive, or subtractive techniques” (Phagan 1986a:79). Independent datasets for each of the four preliminary analysis systems reflect the technological distinctions made between flaked lithic tools (FLT10a and FLT10b); the debitage created in their manufacture (DEBTG10); modes of tool production incorporating pecked, polished, or ground techniques (NFLT10, MANO10, and METAT10); and finally, culturally modified bone and shell (WBONE20). The RTG defines debitage as "the residual lithic material from the controlled manufacture of lithic tools by flaking" (Phagan and Hruby 1984:64). A distinction was drawn between angular debris produced in the early stages of lithic reduction, usually from irregularities or weaknesses in the lithic material and flakes and flake fragments exhibiting “expressions of various kinds or degrees of control over the fracture process” (Phagan and Hruby 1984:67). Owing to the difficulty of consistently differentiating angular debitage produced in a cultural system from naturally occurring chunks or fragments, the RTG gave little interpretive value to this class of debitage (Phagan and Hurby 1984:65-67). Their count and weight were totaled for each field specimen number and in most cases these items have not been included in statistical analysis. Flakes and flake fragments are unique examples of debitage in that they “display one of several possible characteristic ventral or inner fracture surface configurations, and/or a recognizable locus of force application at the margin of that surface” (Phagan and Hruby 1984:67). Since it was anticipated that grain-size categories were well suited for making inferences about tool production and maintenance from debitage-to-tool comparisons, flakes and flake fragments from a single field specimen number were divided into four grain-size groups prior to analysis. Variables therefore represent summed values for a single lot of these items.

Variables for the flaked-lithic debitage dataset have been described by Wilshusen et al. (1999); see especially the section "Flaked Lithic Artifacts" by Sarah B. Barber in chapter 3. In most cases, her descriptions are suitable for use as metadata and have been repeated almost verbatim here. See also Chapter 11, "Technology: Lithic Tools," by Carl Phagan, in the Final Synthetic Report. Selected resources from the collection of published and unpublished DAP reports may have been used for clarification in some cases and will be appropriately referenced.

Cite this Record

Flaked Lithic Debitage. Carl J. Phagan. 1985 ( tDAR id: 6145) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8MC8XXT

Data Set Structure

Measurement Column

Count Column

Coded Column

Filename Column

Integration Column (has Ontology)

Table Information: dap-debtg10

Column Name	Data Type	Type	Category	Coding Sheet	Ontology	Search
medwfn	This variable specifies the total number of complete medium-grained flakes assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
medwfn	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
fgno	This variable indicates the total number of fine-grained flakes and flake fragments for each field specimen number in a site.
fgno	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
nonlocl	For each field specimen number within a site, this variable indicates the total number of flakes and flake fragments derived from non-local materials.
nonlocl	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
totalcor	This variable likely indicates the total number of flakes and flake fragments with cortex, assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
totalcor	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
totalwfn	This variable likely indicates the total number of complete flakes assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
totalwfn	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
vfgwfn	This variable specifies the total number of complete very fine-grained flakes assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
vfgwfn	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
vfgcor	This variable specifies the total number of very fine-grained flakes and flake fragments with cortex, assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
vfgcor	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
totalno	This variable likely indicates the total number of flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
totalno	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
totalwt	This variable likely indicates the total weight of all flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
totalwt	BIGINT	Measurement (gram)	Chipped Stone : Weight	none	none	true
vfgno	This variable specifies the total number of very fine-grained flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
vfgno	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
ssno	The special specimen number values are assigned sequentially within each site to indicate items recovered as isolated finds, or while processing samples such as bulk soil collections.
ssno	BIGINT	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Code	none	none	true
site	Site number refers only to the sequential position of a site within a single Smithsonian state and county designation. To obtain a full site number for any entry, this value must be appended to the Smithsonian state and county designation.
site	BIGINT	Uncoded Value	Provenience and Context : Horizontal Location	none	none	true
vfgwt	This variable indicates the total weight of all very fine-grained flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
vfgwt	BIGINT	Uncoded Value	Chipped Stone : Weight	none	none	true
medcor	This variable indicates the total number of medium-grained fakes and flake fragments with cortex, assigned to each field specimen number within a site. In some cases, raw material flaws on the ventral surface of a flake were identified as cortex to indicate a condition that may have affected the fracture process.
medcor	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
angno	Indicates the total number of pieces of angular debitage for each field specimen number in a site.
angno	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
medwt	This variable specifies the total weight of all medium-grained flakes assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
medwt	BIGINT	Measurement (gram)	Chipped Stone : Weight	none	none	true
angwt	Indicates the total weight of angular debitage for each field specimen number in a site.
angwt	BIGINT	Measurement (gram)	Chipped Stone : Weight	none	none	true
medno	This variable specifies the total number of medium-grained flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
medno	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
fgcor	This variable indicates the total number of fine-grained flakes and flake fragments with cortex for each field specimen number in a site. In some cases, raw material flaws on the ventral surface of a flake were identified as cortex to indicate a condition that may have affected the fracture process.
fgcor	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
fgwt	This variable indicates the total weight of all fine-grained flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen in a site.
fgwt	BIGINT	Measurement (gram)	Chipped Stone : Weight	none	none	true
micrwfn	This variable indicates the total number of complete microscopic-grained flakes assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
micrwfn	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
micrcor	This variable specifies the total number of microscopic-grained flakes and flake fragments with cortex assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
micrcor	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
fgwfn	This variable indicates the total number of complete fine-grained flakes assigned to each field specimen number in a site.
fgwfn	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
microno	This variable indicates the total number of microscopic-grained flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
microno	BIGINT	Count	Chipped Stone : Count	none	none	true
microwt	This variable indicates the total weight of all microscopic-grained flakes and flake fragments assigned to each field specimen number within a site.
microwt	BIGINT	Measurement (gram)	Chipped Stone : Weight	none	none	true
caccnid	The Anasazi Heritage Center has given each specimen three unique codes, including caccnid, to facilitate management of their DAP collections. The first digits of this value indicate the year that it was accessioned.
caccnid	DOUBLE	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Code	none	none	true
catno	A unique catalog item number used by the RTG, for identification in the laboratory.
catno	BIGINT	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Code	none	none	true
cdept	The Anasazi Heritage Center has given each specimen three unique codes, including cdept, to facilitate management of their DAP collections. This variable specifies the tool department to which each record belongs.
cdept	VARCHAR	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Code	none	none	true
csiteid	The Anasazi Heritage Center has given each specimen three unique codes, including csiteid, to facilitate management of their DAP collections. This variable denotes the entry's corresponding Smithsonian site number.
csiteid	VARCHAR	Uncoded Value	Provenience and Context : Horizontal Location	none	none	true
stco	To obtain a full site designation for any entry, append the Smithsonian site number to this variable.
stco	VARCHAR	Uncoded Value	Provenience and Context : Horizontal Location	none	none	true
cobjectid	The Anasazi Heritage Center has given each specimen three unique codes, including cobjectid, to facilitate management of their DAP collections. Since this variable is used in association with the AHC ARGUS database for tracking the location of a record, it is important for any researcher requesting objects from the curator.
cobjectid	VARCHAR	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Code	none	none	true
pl	The point location variable is a subdivision of the field specimen number that denotes an item or group of items of a significant type and/or context.
pl	VARCHAR	Uncoded Value	Provenience and Context : Context	none	none	true
sstype	The special specimen type indicates whether items were recovered as isolated finds, or while processing samples such as bulk soil collections.
sstype	VARCHAR	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Description	none	none	true
fs	The most basic type of provenience data recorded for all information obtained during DAP fieldwork is the field specimen number. These values are sequentially assigned to unique vertical and horizontal locations within each site.
fs	BIGINT	Uncoded Value	Lookup : Code	none	none	true