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Facing the Chop: Redefining British Antler Mattocks to Consider Larger-Scale Maritime Networks in the Early Fifth Millennium Cal BC

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Benjamin Elliott
Benjamin Elliott*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of York, UK
*
[email: ben.elliott@york.ac.uk]
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Abstract

This paper provides a critical review of Smith's (1989) typological discussion of the antler ‘mattocks’ of the British Mesolithic. The evidence for use of the term ‘mattock’ is assessed in relation to a new technological analysis of antler tools from Britain. In the light of the data presented here and developments in the study of Mesolithic osseous technologies from elsewhere in northwest Europe, a redefinition of the terminology and typology used to study these artefacts is presented. The potential for this redefinition to shape research across Mesolithic Europe is demonstrated through a discussion of the earliest occurrence of antler T-axes around the North Sea basin.

Nous présentons ici une revue critique de la discussion typologique de Smith (1989) sur les ‘pioches’ en andouiller du Mésolithique britannique. Les critères qui avaient mené au terme ‘pioche’ sont réévalués en tenant compte d'une nouvelle analyse technologique des outils en andouiller de Grande-Bretagne. En vertu des données présentées ici et des développements dans l'étude des technologies en matières osseuses mésolithiques dans d'autres parties d'Europe du nord-ouest, nous proposons une redéfinition de la terminologie et de la typologie utilisée dans l'étude de ces artefacts. Cette rédéfinition a un potentiel à façonner la recherche à travers l'Europe mésolithique qui est illustré par un débat sur la première apparition de haches en T en andouiller autour du bassin de la Mer du Nord. Translation by Isabelle Gerges.

Dieser Beitrag betrachtet die typologische Diskussion von Geweih-’Hacken’ des britischen Mesolithikums durch Smith (1989) kritisch. Die Gesichtspunkte für die Verwendung des Begriffes ‚Hacke‘ werden im Licht einer neuen technologischen Analyse von Geweihgeräten aus Großbritannien bewertet. Vor dem Hintergrund der hier vorgestellten Daten und von Entwicklungen in der Forschung zu mesolithischen Knochentechnologien in anderen Regionen Nordwesteuropas, wird eine Neubewertung der Terminologie und Typologie, die zur Untersuchung dieser Artefakte Anwendung finden, präsentiert. Das Potential, durch diese Neubewertung die Forschungsansätze zum mesolithischen Europa zu schärfen, wird an einer Diskussion zum frühesten Auftreten der Geweih-T-Äxte im Umfeld des Nordseebeckens demonstriert. Translation by Heiner Schwarzberg.

Keywords

MesolithicantlerT-axemattockNorth Sea basin5th Millenium BCMésolithiqueandouillerhache en Tpiochebassin de la Mer du Nord5e millénaire av. J.-C.MesolithikumGeweihT-AxtHackeNordseebecken5. Jahrtausend v. Chr.
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , 2015 , pp. 222 - 244
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 the European Association of Archaeologists 

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