Raw materials and functional designs of Fishtail projectile points from southern Brazil

IF 1.1 0 ARCHAEOLOGY
Mirian Carbonera, D. Loponte
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引用次数: 11

Abstract

This study analyses the lithic landscape and the selection of rocks used to manufacture Fishtail points (FP) in southern Brazil, their designs, and some functional aspects. In order to identify the offer of lithic resources, we carried out several surveys throughout 15 months in 47 counties in the Southern Brazil covered by the Botucatú - Serra Geral Vulcano Sedimentary Complex. The lithic composition of numerous hill slopes, fallen rocks, and accumulations of pebbles and boulders in the riversides was evaluated. The results show that basalts (including a small proportion of andesites and rhyodacites-rhyolites), and silicified sandstones, are ubiquitous in the landscape. Conversely, non-translucent cherts are scarce, so their acquisition would have been time-consuming. However, these local cherts were the rocks mostly used to manufacture these points, being another example of the selectivity for high quality rocks by Paleoamerican hunter-gatherers. The same cherts selected in southern Brazil to produce the FP were used to manufacture other point-types by local hunter-gatherers of the early and middle Holocene grouped in the so-called “Umbú Tradition”. Not a single FP of the entire collection analyzed here was made from silicified limestones, which is one of the most common raw materials among the Uruguayan FPs, nor were they made from quartzites as were most of the FPs of the Pampean plains. Regarding to the designs of these projectiles, some morphotypes appear to have been designed to produce multiple injuries through successive thrusts and withdrawals in the bodies of the prey, while in others, the design seems to have favoured penetration and fixation on the prey, suggesting in this case, a single shot technique for each projectile. As the maintenance process unfolded, especially for points below ~ 80 mm in length, they show features that negatively impacted their efficiency, including distinct asymmetries, somewhat open front angles, a decrease in the cutting perimeter and cross-sectional area, an increase in the bevel angle of the blade edges, and a tendency to a conical cross-section. Behaviours intended to counteract these problems were maximizing the length of the leading edge, maintaining the symmetry and the triangular blade resting on straight shoulders, and maintaining the aerodynamic properties as much as it were possible, in order to improve their lethality and the fixation capacity. Beyond these rejuvenation processes, three different morphotypes of points appear to be included within the sample. The first includes points over 120 mm and ~ 80 g in weight, with triangular or slightly lanceolate limbs, which mostly present straight shoulders, but there are also examples of rounded shoulders. The second design corresponds to projectiles between 110 and 87 mm and ~30 g in weight, with triangular or slightly lanceolate blades and straight shoulders. The third design presents the classic shape of these projectiles, with a fish silhouette, with maximum lengths below 90 mm, with a more robust and conceptually different design, where the angles of the edges of the blades and of the shoulders are equal, perhaps with the intention to facilitate the spear withdrawal to produce multiple injuries.
巴西南部鱼尾弹发射点的原材料和功能设计
本研究分析了巴西南部的石器景观和用于制造鱼尾点(FP)的岩石的选择、它们的设计以及一些功能方面。为了确定石器资源的供应,我们在15个月内对巴西南部博图卡图-塞拉-杰拉尔·瓦肯诺沉积杂岩覆盖的47个县进行了几次调查。评估了大量山坡、落石以及河边卵石和巨石堆积物的石器组成。结果表明,玄武岩(包括一小部分安山岩和流纹岩-流纹岩)和硅化砂岩在景观中普遍存在。相反,不透明的燧石非常稀缺,因此它们的收购将非常耗时。然而,这些当地的燧石是主要用于制造这些点的岩石,这是古美洲狩猎采集者对高质量岩石的选择性的另一个例子。在巴西南部生产FP的同一种燧石被当地全新世早期和中期的狩猎采集者用来制造其他类型的燧石,他们被归为所谓的“UmbúTradition”。在这里分析的整个FP中,没有一个FP是由硅化石灰石制成的,硅化石灰石是乌拉圭FP中最常见的原材料之一,它们也不像潘潘平原的大多数FP那样由石英岩制成。关于这些投射物的设计,一些形态类型的设计似乎是为了通过在猎物体内连续的推进和退出产生多处伤害,而在另一些形态类型中,这种设计似乎有利于穿透和固定猎物,这表明在这种情况下,每种投射物都采用单次发射技术。随着维护过程的展开,尤其是对于长度低于~80 mm的点,它们表现出对其效率产生负面影响的特征,包括明显的不对称性、略微打开的前角、切割周长和横截面积的减小、刀刃斜角的增加以及锥形横截面的趋势。旨在解决这些问题的行为是最大限度地延长前缘的长度,保持对称性和三角形叶片位于直肩上,并尽可能保持空气动力学特性,以提高其杀伤力和固定能力。除了这些再生过程之外,样本中似乎还包括三种不同形态的点。第一种包括120毫米以上、重量约80克的点,四肢三角形或略呈披针形,主要表现为直肩,但也有圆肩的例子。第二种设计对应于重量在110至87毫米至约30克之间的炮弹,具有三角形或略呈披针形的叶片和直肩。第三种设计呈现了这些投射物的经典形状,具有鱼的轮廓,最大长度低于90毫米,具有更坚固和概念上不同的设计,其中刀片边缘和肩部的角度相等,可能是为了便于拔出长矛造成多处伤害。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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自引率
10.00%
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6
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8 weeks
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