| To understand prehistoric people, we need to understand their material culture. The analysis of stone tools allows us to gain insight into how people made and used their tools, through which we can infer past people's behaviors and activities. Use-wear analysis, or microwear analysis, is the study of microscopic wear patterns on the surface of stone tools. These microscopic wear patterns can be used to infer the tool's original function. Although individual prehistoric tools may have been used for a variety of functions, many modern experiments focus on a single task, using a tool on one contact material. To address the issue of identifying multifunctional tools in the archaeological record, I explore use-traces resulting from multiple food processing activities through a series of controlled experiments. Texas chert lithic tools are used to prepare bison, fresh-water fish, squash, and onion; foods all found in the local environment to create a hypothetical pre-contact Oklahoman 'kitchen'. These experiments are conducted in sequence, with each tool used on several types of food. Using the same stone tool for food preparation, as one might move between cutting meat and vegetables while making dinner, creates tools with multiple wear types. I describe these multifunctional use-traces through traditional optical microscopy (stereo and reflected light microscopy) to identify visible traces of multifunctionality. Understanding and identifying wear traces resulting from multifunctional tools will contribute to our understanding of prehistoric tasks and how people interacted with their material culture in daily life. Furthermore, these experiments can help our understanding of social organization and labor divisions among ancient societies. These goals will be accomplished by linking women to stone tool production and use in the completion of food processing activities. |
