Microwear analysis on experimental ground stone earth-working implements and its implication for investigating ancient agricultural practices

Abstract Ground stone tools encompass a wide array of implements important in the economic organization of many prehistoric and early historic societies; however, functional analysis of ground stone artefacts has been relatively limited in comparison to chipped stone tools. The appearance of microwear on ground stone artefacts is normally more complex and complicated than on chipped stone artefacts, as the mineral and textural components of the raw materials chosen for ground stone artefacts often are more heterogeneous. Currently, the baseline principles for analyzing microwear on ground stone artefacts are primarily based on the studies of non-cutting tools such as grinding and abrading implements. Our research uses experimental ground stone shovels and hoes crafted from oolitic dolomite to understand the raw material's effect on microwear development and to distinguish the microwear patterns associated with varying sediment conditions in the Neolithic and Early Bronze archaeological sites in the Middle Yellow River and Lower Yangzi River in China. The research combines detailed petrographic analysis of the raw material, measurement of the worked material's physical properties, and careful examination of microwear using both high-power and low-power approaches. The results not only advance the methods for microwear analysis on heterogeneous raw materials, but also enrich the microwear dataset for understanding earth-working activities associated with ground stone tools. Applying our results to analysis of archaeological counterparts will add additional lines of evidence to evaluate the importance of farming and construction activities in Neolithic and Bronze Age subsistence systems.