Session: #782

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
The archaeology of material culture, bodies and landscapes
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each

Title & Content

Title:
The value of lithic raw materials in defining prehistoric social territories
Content:
This session will look at potential prestige lithic raw materials which, among other archaeological remains such as bone industries and ceramics, could be considered good indicators for defining social and economic territoriality and mobility patterns in prehistoric societies.
Numerous sourcing studies have traced the movement of lithic raw materials over short and long distances - often to reconstruct potential trade routes, distributions patterns, how goods might been transferred between settlements, and the geographic extent of movement. One objective of these studies is to better understand the territories of prehistoric populations - in terms of their extent and nature. Trade, whether for economic or social purposes, is interaction between people (settlements, groups, or regions) and its amount can indicate the degree of interaction. Although artefact typologies may indicate shared ideas, they do not necessarily indicate ongoing interaction, and might only indicate the original spread of an idea. Trade can occur, increase, or decrease between formerly unrelated groups. Although it might not coincide with the origins of a cultural group, it will likely coincide with the transmission of knowledge and ideas, which, among other characteristics, play a large part in defining a cultural group, and how connected groups were.
The aim of this session is to present and discuss the construction and development of the concept of prehistoric territoriality in different human societies around the world, through the regional analysis of lithic sourcing, the technology applied to these lithic raw materials, and their exchange patterns or trade routes through time.
Keywords:
lithics; trade; territoriality; sourcing
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no

Organisers

Main organiser:
Dr. Xavier Mangado (Spain) 1
Co-organisers:
Dr. Vincent Delvigne (Belgium) 2,3
Affiliations:
1. SERP - University of Barcelona
2. University of Liège
3. University of Bordeaux