Introduction

Although reports on ‘quarry analysis’ are appearing with increased frequency in the archaeological literature, only a small fraction of these reports involve economic analyses. An even fewer number of studies have sought to analyze the total lithic procurement strategy of prehistoric societies. With a small number of exceptions (cf. Ericson 1977; Bettinger n.d.), most quarry analysts have focused their attention on quarrying procedures and subsequent manufacturing activities at single quarry sites (cf. Singer & Ericson 1977). Economic analyses of lithic procurement strategies involving multiple raw materials have generally remained outside the scope of quarry analysis.

Of particular interest in this analysis is a subject which is often overlooked, namely, to understand the ways in which prehistoric groups scheduled their quarry activities when multiple raw materials with different quarry locales were needed.