Thermal Alterations of Knapped Stone Tools on a Micro-scale: A Use-Wear and Experimental Archaeology Approach

Abstract

The rationale for this research arose from use-wear observations conducted on knapped stone artifacts recovered from domestic contexts at Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites in the Iron Gates (Serbia) region of southeastern Europe. Several artifacts from Building 32 at Lepenski Vir exhibited signs of thermal alteration, including color change, cracking, pitting, surface porosity, and a glossy appearance—features commonly associated with exposure to fire. Given the presence of artifacts displaying varying degrees of heat damage, an experimental approach was deemed necessary to systematically identify and characterize the effects of thermal treatment. The present study, relying on interdisciplinarity, pursues two interrelated objectives: first, to document the sequential stages and diagnostic expressions of heat-induced alteration on experimentally produced flint and quartz implements; and second, to assess how thermal exposure affects the formation, preservation, and visibility of micro-use-wear traces on both experimental and archaeological specimens. The study offers new insights into the differential responses of raw materials to thermal stress, showing that distinct heating conditions, including a laboratory furnace and a full-scale replica of a prehistoric oven, result in variable preservation and modification of use-related traces. By integrating experimental archaeology, heat treatment, and high-resolution functional analysis, this study develops a comparative methodological framework for the identification and interpretation of thermally induced alterations on knapped stone artifacts, contributing a reproducible reference standard for methodological and taphonomic research in use-wear analysis.