Heating of flint debitage from Upper Palaeolithic contexts at Manot Cave, Israel: Changes in atomic organization due to heating using infrared spectroscopy

Steve Weiner; Vlad Brumfeld; Ofer Marder; Omry Barzilai

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2014.11.023

Heating of flint debitage from Upper Palaeolithic contexts at Manot Cave, Israel: Changes in atomic organization due to heating using infrared spectroscopy

Steve Weiner, Vlad Brumfeld, Ofer Marder, Omry Barzilai

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The heat treatment of flint is known to change its mechanical properties and improve its fracture behaviour during knapping. Here we examine 20 flint artifacts from Upper Paleolithic contexts from Manot Cave, Israel, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and compare them to geogenic flint beds from the walls inside the cave and from outcrops just above the cave. We show that the 512 and 467cm^-1 peaks are broader in most of the flint debitage pieces as compared to the geogenic flint, and that broadening of these peaks occurs when geogenic flint from the cave wall is heated. We also present an empirical simple method to monitor these changes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45-53
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Archaeological Science
Volume	54
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.11.023
State	Published - 1 Feb 2015
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

Chert heating
Flint heating
Flint knapping
Infrared spectroscopy
Manot Cave

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Archaeology
Archaeology

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10.1016/j.jas.2014.11.023

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title = "Heating of flint debitage from Upper Palaeolithic contexts at Manot Cave, Israel: Changes in atomic organization due to heating using infrared spectroscopy",

abstract = "The heat treatment of flint is known to change its mechanical properties and improve its fracture behaviour during knapping. Here we examine 20 flint artifacts from Upper Paleolithic contexts from Manot Cave, Israel, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and compare them to geogenic flint beds from the walls inside the cave and from outcrops just above the cave. We show that the 512 and 467cm-1 peaks are broader in most of the flint debitage pieces as compared to the geogenic flint, and that broadening of these peaks occurs when geogenic flint from the cave wall is heated. We also present an empirical simple method to monitor these changes.",

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AU - Marder, Ofer

AU - Barzilai, Omry

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N2 - The heat treatment of flint is known to change its mechanical properties and improve its fracture behaviour during knapping. Here we examine 20 flint artifacts from Upper Paleolithic contexts from Manot Cave, Israel, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and compare them to geogenic flint beds from the walls inside the cave and from outcrops just above the cave. We show that the 512 and 467cm-1 peaks are broader in most of the flint debitage pieces as compared to the geogenic flint, and that broadening of these peaks occurs when geogenic flint from the cave wall is heated. We also present an empirical simple method to monitor these changes.

AB - The heat treatment of flint is known to change its mechanical properties and improve its fracture behaviour during knapping. Here we examine 20 flint artifacts from Upper Paleolithic contexts from Manot Cave, Israel, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and compare them to geogenic flint beds from the walls inside the cave and from outcrops just above the cave. We show that the 512 and 467cm-1 peaks are broader in most of the flint debitage pieces as compared to the geogenic flint, and that broadening of these peaks occurs when geogenic flint from the cave wall is heated. We also present an empirical simple method to monitor these changes.

KW - Chert heating

KW - Flint heating

KW - Flint knapping

KW - Infrared spectroscopy

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ER -

Heating of flint debitage from Upper Palaeolithic contexts at Manot Cave, Israel: Changes in atomic organization due to heating using infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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