Understanding Oneota Stone Tool Functions: A Case Study of Precision and Accuracy in Use-Wear Analysis

Summary

A combination of assemblage analysis, microwear analysis and blood residue analysis allows us to build a new understanding of the role of lithic material in the technological economy of Oneota groups in eastern Wisconsin. One foundation of this approach is accurate and replicable recognition of use-wear patterns. Blind tests have been an essential component of use-wear research since the 1970s. In this paper, we describe a study of 100 experimentally made and used chipped stone tools. Made from two types of chert that were commonly used by occupants of Oneota sites near Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin, the tools are used in a wide range of activities. Three analysts assess each tool using low and high power microscopy, and the degree of agreement on use identifications is ascertained. This study provides a large sample to measure the analysts’ accuracy and precision in recognizing use-wear on stone tools from a specific archaeological context.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage