Chipped stone industries from Western Macedonia, Greece. The case of the Neolithic lakeside settlement Anarghiri IXb
The Ph.D. thesis focuses on the Neolithic chipped stone industries of western Macedonia, Greece, using as a case study the rich lithic material that derived from the rescue excavation of the Neolithic lakeside settlement Anarghiri IXb in the Amindeon basin. The dissertation investigates the organization of chipped stone production, aiming to approach the strategies followed by the prehistoric community during the Late and the early Final Neolithic period (end of 6th to the end of 5th millennium BC). The detailed techno-morphological analysis of the chipped stone material, based on the chaƮne opƩratoire methodology, enabled the exploration of various aspects of chipped stone production including the raw material procurement and use, the technological choices and knapping skills of the producers, as well as the treatment of tools and the activities related to their use. The comparison of the lithic material from the settlement of Anarghiri IXb with the industries of northern Greece demonstrates a regional pattern in the area of western Macedonia, based mainly on the use of excellent quality regional materials for blade tool production. The settlement of Anarghiri IXb was participating in regional communication and exchange networks, as well as wider networks related to exotic materials (e.g., obsidian). The diachronic examination of the lithic assemblage indicates changes in the organization of tool production at the Final Neolithic period, probably related to various transformations at the socioeconomic level of the settlement.