The provenance of siliceous rocks from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (Poland) used as raw-materials in the manufacture of siliceous artefacts from Central-Eastern Europe; An old problem in new light

Bibliographic Data

ID13095086
AuthorsJacek Matyszkiewicz (0000-0002-1812-9967, AGH University of Krakow), Alicja Kochman (0000-0002-4003-6513, AGH University of Krakow, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume34
Pages102600-102600
Publication date2020-11-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Archaeological Science Reports (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2352-409X • E-ISSN: 2352-4103
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102600
OpenAlexW3107554573
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited27

One of the siliceous raw-materials used in the manufacture of artefacts and found in archaeological sites in Central-Eastern Europe is the “Jurassic flint from around Kraków” type, the origin of which is believed to be outcrops of Upper Jurassic sediments scattered throughout the southern part of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (Southern Poland). Unfortunately, the identification criteria of this siliceous rock remain unclear, which precludes it being distinguished as a separate variety of siliceous raw-material used in the manufacture of prehistoric artefacts. The early-diagenetic siliceous rocks from the Kraków region include chert concretions and bedded cherts which are hosted in particular limestone facies. The comparative analysis of chert concretions and bedded cherts from the southern and the northern parts of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland clearly demonstrate that the determination of their provenance based upon macroscopic features, microfacial development and/or the results of geochemical analyses is unjustified. The criteria used in the typological classifications of siliceous artefacts from archaeological sites in Central-Eastern Europe are frequently subjective, ambiguous and unrelated to the geological fundamentals. This precludes the association of any variety of raw-material used in the manufacture of artefacts with a particular source locality. Consequently, any speculation concerning prehistoric human migrations that is based upon the raw-material of siliceous artefacts varieties distinguished in such typological classifications are groundless

Archaeology · Diagenesis · Facies · Geochemistry · Geography · Outcrop · Prehistory · Provenance · Geological Formations and Processes Exploration · Mineralogy and Gemology Studies · Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils · Geology · Paleontology

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