BaTEx: A Methodological Framework for Analysing Wear Traces on Basalt Tools

Basalt is often the primary or the only raw material utilized in lithic tool manufacture in certain geographic and chronological contexts. The manufacture of basalt tools was a widespread practice in prehistory, and as such, it is an important material for archaeological research. However, despite its prevalence, there is currently no unified methodology for examining the use of basalt tools by hominins in prehistory. This is particularly problematic for older sites where basalt is often the primary source of information about the behaviour of early humans and for insight into hominin socioeconomic strategies and lifeways.
To address this gap in knowledge, the BaTEx project was created to develop a comprehensive methodological framework for the functional analysis of basalt tools. The project involves an important methodological component consisting of systematic experimentation involving the production and utilization of basalt tools, next to systematic wear analysis. For the latter, different qualitative approaches are combined with newly developed quantitative analysis to measure wear on both experimental and archaeological basalt assemblages.
Here we present the preliminary results of this project and specifically focus on the experimental component. Through sequential experiments and comprehensive functional analysis using optical and scanning electron microscopes, we have identified the minimum use duration required for diagnostic wear to form, as well as the characteristics of edge damage, polish, and other types of wear on basalt tools. Additionally, we discuss the role of intra-raw material variability in the formation process of use-wear on basalt.
The project is anticipated to have a significant impact by generating functional data on basalt tools, which will enable comprehensive analysis and interpretation of human activities at crucial archaeological sites. For the first time, it will be possible to mobilise data obtained on basalt assemblages to address questions on technology, subsistence patterns, and even behavioural and cognitive aspects, which remained beyond the scope of research until now.