The chipped stone assemblage from Hili 8 — Early Bronze Age innovation vs. Neolithic tradition
Keywords:
Hili 8, Early Bronze Age, bifacial reduction, microlithic segment, lunateAbstract
Excavations at the well-known Early Bronze Age site Hili 8 in al-ʿAin (Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE) resumed in 2017. The field strategy included water screening and flotation of all sediments excavated from stratigraphically secure deposits by means of a state-of-the-art flotation unit. This was a prerequisite for the recovery of a representative chipped stone assemblage which includes all debitage greater than 1.5 mm, and therefore allows for the reconstruction of complete reduction sequences. First insights into the local Early Bronze Age lithic technology demonstrate that a resilient technological concept was used for two different methods of tool production: flake-based pressure reduction for bifacial points and perforators in the Neolithic tradition, together with flake- and bladelet-based production of backed microlithic segments as a response to new demands.
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