An Objective Method for Identifying Heat-Treatment in Swan River Chert

• Author / Creator

  Stewart, Peter Nicholas Bering

• Current models for determining when stone artifacts have been heat-
  treated rely on subjective criteria such as colour and texture. While these criteria
  are not without their own merits, their subjective nature means that the actual
  amount of heat-treated material at an archaeological site may be over- or
  underestimated. This study provides a potential model for objectively identifying
  heat-treatment in Swan River Chert. The model utilizes a device called an optical
  profilometer to measure the topography of a flake’s ventral surface and is
  supported by an experimental protocol. The ability to determine objectively when
  lithics have been heat-treated has the potential to further our understanding of
  lithic acquisition and reduction strategies in Alberta. The identification model
  was applied to a series of experimentally heat-treated flakes as well as lithic
  material from eight archaeological sites in Alberta that date from the Middle to
  Late Prehistoric periods and it was discovered that heat-treated flakes have a
  smoother flake surface when compared to unheated flakes.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Objective
  • Swan River Chert
  • Heat-Treatment

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3R20S701

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.