Quality Control: The Impact of Raw Material Quality on Inter-analyst Variation and Interpretation of Lithic Assemblages

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The issue of inter-analyst variation is common across nearly all archaeological artifacts. Within lithic analysis, there are many quantitative and qualitative assessments that could vary among analysts, which can cause problems in interpretation of stone tool assemblages. In addition, the effects of raw material on inter-analyst variation is not entirely understood; are analysts less consistent when measuring artifacts knapped from cores with many inclusions, for instance? In this study, we quantify the inter-analyst variation that exists when measuring experimentally produced flakes of different raw material qualities. Two expert and two novice knappers are asked to produce flakes from nodules of high, medium, and low-quality flint. Raw material quality is measured via surface roughness, hardness, and the presence of inclusions. Five lithic analysts will conduct blind analysis tests on this experimental assemblage. Variation between analysts and the impact of raw material quality on variation will be assessed. Our results will help us further understand the impacts of raw material quality on lithic analysis and how multiple observers introduce variation in stone tool studies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35962.0