Technological organization and initial production stages of a maritime slate tradition: insights from the first investigated Stone Age slate source in Arctic Europe (the Djupvik slate formation, Norway)

Abstract

While ground slate technology is a trademark of maritime hunter-gatherers across the circumpolar region, we lack robust understanding of 1) the organization of slate tool production and 2) its initial production stages – maintained by the absence of formally investigated slate sourcing sites and the loss of diagnostic production features inherent to grinding techniques. This paper contributes along both dimensions, presenting the first investigated prehistoric slate raw material source in Arctic Europe (Djupvik, Norway). Technological analyses of the assemblage rich in initial production stages are related to the material properties of the geological slate formation, supplemented by experimental research. The paper discusses the role of slate technological organization within the broader context of mid-Holocene adaptations in Arctic Norway. The results from Djupvik help establish the production stages and techniques distinct to slate tool technologies and demonstrate organizational principles diverging from cryptocrystalline lithic resources of the contemporary lithic technocomplex. Finally, potential secondary (non-tool) uses of Djupvik materials are discussed, referencing the intriguing possibility of ochre and red pigment production both at Djupvik and a nearby site, suggesting a relation to rock art paintings.

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