A New Methodology for Understanding How Bone Wears Using 3D Surface Texture Analysis

Summary

Use-wear analysis provides a tool for studying traces produced on animal bone during manufacture and use. Often, these analyses have been qualitative, describing the surface two-dimensionally, and have led to inconsistencies between researchers. Studies have focused on interpreting final traces and lack a foundation in understanding how the traces developed. Here, we propose a new methodology for studying bone surface traces that will reduce the problems of unreliable and unreplicable results in more traditional qualitative analyses. We seek to understand the basics of use-wear formation over time by incrementally taking impressions of bone specimens subjected to a controlled, mechanical experiment. Our study assesses how bone wears during extended use on three materials (leather, fresh hide, or bark), starting from three modification states (unmodified, modified by flint or by sandstone). 3D surface texture analysis is used to quantitatively measure various features of bone surfaces, such as surface roughness [Sa], peak curvature [Spc], autocorrelation length [Sal], and lower material ratio [Smr2]. This novel quantitative and experimental approach, which focuses on the incremental process of use-wear formation, will enhance our understanding of the use of bone as a raw material and can be directly applied to archaeological materials and questions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22661