Splitting and Lumping: Decision-making and Meaning in Intentional Artifact Fragmentation and Deposition

Summary

Drawing on archaeological data from the greater Los Angeles Basin, this paper examines sequences of intentional ground-stone artifact fragmentation and singular or multiple-recombined fragment placement within various feature contexts. Recent studies of putative communal mourning features have indicated an initial suite of intentional artifact fragmentation and treatment practices including pigmentation or burning, but ongoing study of these and other types of features has revealed additional practices that suggest acts designed to produce fragments of particular types (e.g., specific portions of tools) and/or a desired number of pieces that could be distributed individually or recombined in particular configurations for placement within one or more features. The potential significance and meaning of such splitting and lumping with respect to certain feature types is explored.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14309