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The Neolthc Materal (2) 61 CHAPTeR FOuR The Neolthc Materal (2) ACTiVe TOOlS Introduction Active tools comprise the vast majority of neolithic ground stone tools at Franchthi, a total of 374 (77%). These tools functioned primarily, although not exclusively, in an active mode, or, in other words, they moved over another passive component or surface during use. They were used in an abrasive or percussive manner. in the context of this large category, similarities among a number of tools allowed the construction of six relatively homogeneous groups: 1. Active cutting edge tools (Acut); 2. Active discoidal tools (Adisc); 3. Active rectangular tools (Arect); 4. Active square or circular tools (Asquare-circ); 5. Active tools used with ends (Aend); 6. Active globular tools (Aglobe). Thesegroupsaccountfor222(59%)ofthetotalnumber of active specimens. unfortunately, the heterogeneity of the remaining 152 (41%) active tools did not allow theconstructionofsimilargroups.Theseventhgroup, then, called Active miscellanea (Amisc), comprises all the active specimens that I was not able to fit into any of the above six groups. i present all seven active groups in the following seven subchapters. Tools with a cutting edge are the most studied of all varieties of active tools.As far as theAegean and the rest of europe are concerned, it is fair to say that they are the most studied of ground stone tools in general. Despite their usually much higher numbers, other varieties of active ground stone tools have been largely neglected. The following is the first systematic and reasonably balanced presentation of active ground stone tools from a Greek neolithic site. 1. Active cutting edge tools (Acut)1 Introduction Summarized information on allActive cutting edge tools, or Acut, is listed in Table 4.1. Drawings of a number of specimens appear in Figures 15–19. Photographs (sometimes combined with drawings ) are found in Plates 63–85 on the CD, folder: neolithic/Active/Acut. The group of Active cutting edge tools comprises the Franchthi ground stone tools that were used (although not exclusively) in an active linear mode. The diagnostic trait ofAcut is an acute edge located on one of the ends. This edge is always the result of manufacture (by grinding), rather than an a posteror formation. i should note that Acut (or most of them) represent only the stone portions of original composite tools that also included hafting devices made of (primarily) wooden shafts, and perhaps a binding and/or adhesive material (see below). Tools with a cutting edge are known in the literature as celts, adzes, axes, chisels, knives, hatchets, choppers, gouges, hoes, etc.2 i prefer, however, not to use any of these terms for the Franchthi assemblage, since they imply and reflect a classificatory system designed for modern metal tools, the capacity of which to describe prehistoric stone tools is dubious. As both use wear analysis 62 Chapter Four Table .1. Actve cuttng edge tools (Acut). Name Trench:Unit Prov. Pres. Material Date L W T L/W Illustr. FS 1 Cave surf. C c diabase neol. 6.9 4.2 2.8 1.64 Pl. 67 FS 6 A:5 C f serpentinite neol. 3.3 4.3 2.3 n/ap FS 11 G:2 C c serpentinite neol. 2.2 1.1 0.7 2.00 Pl. 72 FS 12 A:30 C c serpentinite neol. 3.8 3.0 1.2 1.26 FS 21 A:27 C c serpentinite (Fn) 5.8 4.0 2.2 1.45 Fig. 17, Pl. 73 FS 22 B:3 C c serpentinite neol. 2.8 2.5 1.0 1.12 Pl. 82 FS 23 G:3 C c serpentinite neol. 6.1 4.0 2.0 1.52 Pl. 71 FS 24 G:17 C c diabase neol. 3.1 2.4 1.3 1.29 FS 32 A:45 C c diabase neol. 4.5 3.7 1.8 1.21 FS 33 G:21 C c serpentinite (Mn) 6.5 4.1 3.0 1.58 Fig. 18 FS 34 A:40 C c serpentinite Fn 7.3 4.2 3.2 1.73 FS 36 A:46 C n/ap andesite neol. 7.4 4.1 2.5 n/ap Pl. 63 FS 37 A:37 C c argillite neol. 4.0 2.0 0.9 2.00 Fig. 16 FS 38* G:20 C f serpentinite (Mn) 5.7 6.4 2.2 n/ap Pl. 76 FS 44 G:12 C...

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