Abraders, Palettes, and the Unknown: Assessing Tool Use through Low-power Microscopy and 3D Modeling

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Digitizing the Past: Studying Ancient Ground Stone Toolkits Using Modern Technology" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Nine ground stone tool (GST) artifacts were recovered during the 1960s and 1990s excavations at the Hell Gap National Historic Landmark. They were found in units dating to ~10,800 - 10,000 years ago. These GST artifacts are on loan to Eastern New Mexico University digital archaeology lab from the University of Wyoming. ENMU Researchers are currently developing 3D models of the artifacts and conducting preliminary use-wear analysis, in hopes of preserving the original state of the artifacts before they undergo preparation for residue analysis and additional use-wear survey. In this poster we compare 3D modeled surfaces to low-power microscopic imagery to determine how useful 3D models are in preliminary assessments of GST tool function. Ochre grinding and tool production are hypothesized to be the primary function of some of the ground stone tools; other Hell Gap GST are, as yet, unclassified. Preservation (through 3D modeling) and analysis (low-powered microscopy) of these tools will add to our understanding of ritual and ordinary practices at ancient campsites on the Plains-Rocky Mountains landscape. Our work provides inclusive, yet sustainable access to the artifacts while further testing their functionality.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digitizing the Past: Studying Ancient Ground Stone Toolkits Using Modern Technology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51566