Experimental Archaeology discussion

This is actually a real problem within experimental archaeology. When you do something like flintknapping, you make sure to catch all of your debitage else someone may stumble upon your "site." 

Like I thought, the experiment was loads of fun. I saw many people who I haven�t seen in quite some time, and yes, some even remembered my name.

The experiment was called �Understanding Hunter-Gatherer Grinding Technology through Experimentation.� The PI was Dr. Margie Burton. The experiment was moderated by Native Americans and Archaeologist, the PI and experts in ground stone technology- one person of special note was Dr. Jenny Adams. I�ll go ahead and give her a plug for her book� http://www.amazon.com/Ground-Stone-Analysis-Technological-Approach/dp/0874807174

Lecture topics ranged from classification, use-wear analysis, tribology, form vs. function, and ethnographic and cross-cultural analysis info.  

There were about 20 volunteers ranging in age from early teens to late 60�s possibly 70�s. We paired up and were given manos and metates or pestles and mortars that were prepared and photographed in their current condition. We each had to grind either acorns, seeds or clay for three hours and record our posture, motor habits, changes in product, smells and sounds (rhythm), grinding techniques, everything really..

My partner and I were given a very shallow granitic metate with a working surface roughly 4� in diameter, a granitic mano with sharp proximal and distal ends and flat sides to grind, and a bag of Black Oak acorns. With each of us using our own technique, I was processing fast alternating between pounding with the distal end and grinding with the flat. We ground large cleaned acorns into a powdery mush that smelled wonderfully like toasted bready nuts (I really would like to leach a pound or so and brew with it).  Or metate was ill suited for such production. Acorns often exploded everywhere and they were hard to contain and manage. While pounding, I sheared off a large flake off of the distal end of my mano and it, of course, wound up in my food with all of its mico-debris dust of course� However, when you�re using granitic tools you are going to get it in your food any way. That is why many had worn teeth (sometimes almost to the gums) but strangely, never had any cavities..     

Each of our experiments will be analyzed for use wear, our methods analyzed for effectiveness, and our tools placed in a reference collection for a comparative recourse.  

Loads of fun�