The use of fan scrapers: Microwear evidence from Late Pottery Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, Ein Zippori, Israel

Richard W. Yerkes, Ran Barkai, Avi Gopher, Katia Zutovski

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The results of a microwear analysis of samples of fan scrapers and fan scrapers spalls from late Pottery Neolithic (PN) and Early Bronze Age (EBA) occupation layers at Ein Zippori, Lower Galilee, Israel are presented. The goal of the microwear analysis was to determine the function of the fan scrapers and compare the visible usewear on the scrapers found in late PN and EBA lithic assemblages. The results indicate that during both periods most of the fan scrapers were used to skin and butcher animals, while some were also used for hide processing and bone working. The working edges of the fan scrapers had sharp, moderate, or steep edge-angles, and different edges were used for different tasks. Edges with microwear from scraping meat, bone, and hides (including some hides that may have been treated with abrasives) had steep edge-angles, while there were moderate or sharp edge-angles on the edges of fan scrapers used for cutting. Two sub-types of fan scrapers were identified, flat...

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)185-205
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of lithic studies
Volume3
Issue number1
StatePublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Microwear Analysis
  • Late Pottery Neolithic
  • Wadi Rabbah
  • Early Bronze Age
  • Southern Levant
  • Anthropology

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