CFEE JOINT SEMINAR: The traceology and functional analysis of stone tools in Prehistoric Archeology

SÉMINAIRE / SEMINAR

Jeudi 12 avril 2018, 15h30-17h / Thursday, April 12, 2018, 3:30-5:00 pm

Lieu / Venue: Auditorium of the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Addis Ababa

The traceology and functional analysis of stone tools in Prehistoric Archeology

Traceology is based on the observation of visible traces on the surface of an artifact. It aims to identify the origin of their formation (taphonomic and / or intentional) to explain the methods of manufacture and use of prehistoric tools. Any modification of the physical state of an artifact, whether visible to the naked eye, to the binocular loupe (macroscopic traces) or even under the microscope (microscopic traces), can be interpreted as being related or not to a technical or functional gesture. The interpretation is done by comparison with a framework of traces reproduced experimentally and / or ethnographically. As part of this presentation on the traceological method, we will show some examples of the reconstitution of prehistoric tools from the LSA contexts of the Ziway-Shala basin in Ethiopia.

L’intervenant / the speaker

Dr. Lorène Chesnaux is A.T.E.R. lecturer at the Université Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, France and researcher at TRACES (UMR 5608 CNRS).

Organisation: CFEE & Authority for Research and Conservation of the Cultural Heritage (Heritage Collection & Laboratory Service Directorate, Heritage Training Unit).