Research Article
Characteristics and Changes of Prehistoric Stone Use
한국전통문화대학교
Published: January 2024 · Vol. 32 · pp. 1-26
Full Text
Abstract
In prehistoric times, various types of stones were used to manufacture stoneware. Stone materials were probably differentiated and chosen based on various factors such as their physical properties and the ease of gathering, rather than being randomly selected. This point is most clearly shown in the difference found in stone materials used for chipped stone tools and polished stone tools. Different stone materials were used depending on the manufacturing techniques and also in different times; and not many diachronic studies have been conducted to examine changes in the use of stone materials in a specific region.
In this study, I examined stone materials used in stoneware spanning from the Paleolithic Age to the Bronze Age, excavated in the basin area of Daejeon, South Korea, to investigate the characteristics in use of stone materials and their changes with time. In this area, quarts and hornfels were mostly used during the Paleolithic Age, but hornfels were no longer used by the Neolithic Age. Instead, in the Neolithic Age, gneiss was used as people made and used flat stoneware such as chipped stone axes and chipped stone cutters. By the Bronze Age, the variety of stone materials increased gradually, including shale and slate used to manufacture small and flat stoneware such as stone arrowheads and stone knives.
In general, the Daejeon basin area has a homogeneous geological environment, and mostly similar stone materials were used throughout the area, but preferred materials differed to an extent by historic sites, depending on the type of stoneware. Another characteristic is that same stone materials were used for chipped stone tools and polished stone tools during the Bronze Age.
The changes in stone materials used in stoneware, use of diverse stone materials, and use of same stone materials for chipped stone tools and polished stone tools suggest that people used stone materials that were easily found near the historic sites to manufacture stoneware suited to their desired functions and uses, drawing from their knowledge of the surrounding environment, understanding of stone materials, as well as the progress in stoneware manufacturing technique.
In this study, I examined stone materials used in stoneware spanning from the Paleolithic Age to the Bronze Age, excavated in the basin area of Daejeon, South Korea, to investigate the characteristics in use of stone materials and their changes with time. In this area, quarts and hornfels were mostly used during the Paleolithic Age, but hornfels were no longer used by the Neolithic Age. Instead, in the Neolithic Age, gneiss was used as people made and used flat stoneware such as chipped stone axes and chipped stone cutters. By the Bronze Age, the variety of stone materials increased gradually, including shale and slate used to manufacture small and flat stoneware such as stone arrowheads and stone knives.
In general, the Daejeon basin area has a homogeneous geological environment, and mostly similar stone materials were used throughout the area, but preferred materials differed to an extent by historic sites, depending on the type of stoneware. Another characteristic is that same stone materials were used for chipped stone tools and polished stone tools during the Bronze Age.
The changes in stone materials used in stoneware, use of diverse stone materials, and use of same stone materials for chipped stone tools and polished stone tools suggest that people used stone materials that were easily found near the historic sites to manufacture stoneware suited to their desired functions and uses, drawing from their knowledge of the surrounding environment, understanding of stone materials, as well as the progress in stoneware manufacturing technique.