Two-Day Workshop Dates: TBD
Course Description
Biface technologies are common, widespread, and highly varied. Each biface technology represents a culturally-determined set of methods for the manufacture and maintenance of stone tools. In this two-day workshop participants will develop skills in producing and recognizing percussion and pressure biface reduction technologies. In addition, stages of reduction, as well as the tools used in the production of bifaces will be studied. The workshop will also teach identification of characteristic manufacture and use break types, archaeological applications of technological analysis, including how to select items for obsidian hydration analysis and protein residue analysis. The course provides opportunities to examine tools and debitage, observe the production of flakes, and engage in hands on reduction of bifacial flaked stone tools. Attendees will produce their own study collection of diagnostic debitage and bifacial tools and learn how to set up future experimental lithic studies.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the two-day Biface Technologies Workshop, attendees will be able to:
- Recognize multiple biface technologies, reduction stages, and diagnostic debitage;
- Distinguish percussion reduction debitage from pressure reduction debitage;
- Distinguish manufacturing breaks from use-breaks;
- Apply technological information to make decisions for obsidian hydration and residue analysis selections;
- Develop research questions and outline an experimental research design for your own analyses;
- Produce your own study collection of diagnostic tools and debitage.