Department of Physics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
INFN, Section of Turin, Turin, Italy.
PLoS One. 2023 Aug 22;18(8):e0289807. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289807. eCollection 2023.
The pursuit of a quantitative approach to functional analysis of stone tools is an ongoing endeavour for traceologists. Technological advancements in 3D imaging techniques, such as photogrammetry/3D scanners, CT scanning, 3D digital microscopy, confocal microscopy, AFM and FEG-SEM and micro-topographical scanning, have greatly facilitated the detailed capturing of the geometry and surface texture at multiple levels of observation, from the object-scale to the nano-scale. However, while such technological innovations have predominantly focused on flaked assemblages, ground stone tools have only recently begun to receive due attention, and a standardised protocol for their study is yet to be established. In order to comprehend the function(s) of these tools, analytical techniques that enable a 3D visualisation of the entire item and the wear affecting the used surfaces have proven to be of great support. To this end, an analytical procedure was developed and tested on slabs and pebbles in order to replicate the use-wear traces observed on Upper Palaeolithic tools. The purpose was to assemble a site-specific reference collection tailored on the artefacts from the cultural level III of the Brînzeni I cave in north-west Moldova. Experimental replicas were used to treat different plant organs during controlled sequential experiments. The present article reports on the analysis based on photogrammetric data acquired during two stages of replicative usage. We tested multiple acquisition setups and elaborations to assess the geometry modification and the surface depletion. By exploring various acquisition strategies, a critical evaluation of potential sources of bias in data collection and subsequent elaboration were performed, and the methodology was accordingly adjusted thereby enhancing the reliability and reproducibility of the results. This study highlights the importance of carefully considering the acquisition strategy in archaeological related research to ensure accurate analyses and to validate robust interpretation.
对石器工具的功能进行定量分析是考古学家一直以来的追求。3D 成像技术（如摄影测量/3D 扫描仪、CT 扫描、3D 数字显微镜、共聚焦显微镜、原子力显微镜和场发射扫描电子显微镜以及微形貌扫描）的技术进步极大地方便了对几何形状和表面纹理的详细捕捉，从物体尺度到纳米尺度都可以进行观察。然而，虽然这些技术创新主要集中在剥落石器组合上，但磨制石器工具直到最近才开始受到关注，并且尚未为其研究建立标准化的方案。为了理解这些工具的功能，能够对整个物品进行 3D 可视化以及对使用表面产生的磨损进行分析的技术已被证明非常有帮助。为此，开发并测试了一种分析程序，用于对板岩和卵石进行分析，以复制在上旧石器时代工具上观察到的使用痕迹。目的是为摩尔达维亚西北部布林泽尼 I 洞的文化层 III 的文物建立一个特定于遗址的参考集。实验复制品用于在受控的顺序实验中处理不同的植物器官。本文报告了基于在复制使用的两个阶段中获取的摄影测量数据的分析。我们测试了多种采集设置和处理方法，以评估几何形状的变化和表面的损耗。通过探索各种采集策略，对数据采集和后续处理中的潜在偏差源进行了批判性评估，并相应地调整了方法，从而提高了结果的可靠性和可重复性。这项研究强调了在考古学相关研究中仔细考虑采集策略的重要性，以确保准确的分析并验证稳健的解释。
