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2017-10-19 17:43:49   •   ID: 1671

Bifacial Quina Scraper

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Figure 3
This is a bifacial Quina scraper from the Les Eyzies vicinity and 11 cm long. These artifacts are sometimes confused with MTA-bifaces. However their globular appearance, their oval shape and the absence of two converging edges are very different from cordiform handaxes.

Similar large bifacial scrapers, although rather rare have been already published by Henri Martin as shown here in Figure 3 from his La Quina monograph

Although stone artifacts are the most abundant type of cultural remains at Paleolithic sites,  their function is often poorly understood. Neither a intuitive, a typological, nor a “chaine operatoire” approach is fully satisfactory in this respect.

During the last years microscopic use wear and residue analyses became more important in the evaluation of the functional meaning of  individual tools. Until recently MTA-bifaces and bifacial Quina scrapers from S/W-France were considered to have a close functional status.

However it was demonstrated, that while MTA bifaces were usually used as butchering instruments, bifacial Quina scrapers were beside their function as instruments for cutting skin, used as cores.



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