Underwater Traces: Use-Wear Analysis of Lithic Assemblages from Submerged Lake Huron Sites

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Hunting for Hunters, Underwater: Results and Future Directions for Submerged Ancient Sites" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Identifying use-wear traces on lithics from submerged sites presents unique and intriguing challenges. Currently, there are limited taphonomic studies that explore the impact of lacustrine depositional environments on the preservation of wear traces, complicating the interpretation of traces found on artifacts from submerged contexts. This study addresses this issue by evaluating lithics recovered from submerged sites in Lake Huron using optical and quantitative microscopy to reconstruct their life history through the identification of both use-wear and post-depositional traces. By understanding the range of taphonomic traces present on lithic artifacts, as well as the preservation of use-wear traces in freshwater environments, this research aims to elucidate the challenges inherent in analyzing lithics from submerged contexts. The findings will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the effects of lacustrine environments on lithic artifacts, ultimately aiding in the interpretation of behaviors of past peoples through the traces they leave behind.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Hunting for Hunters, Underwater: Results and Future Directions for Submerged Ancient Sites

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50355