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Zarzian Microliths from Warwasi Rockshelter, Iran: Scalene Triangles as Arrow Components
Author(s) -
Olszewski Deborah I.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
archeological papers of the american anthropological association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.783
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1551-8248
pISSN - 1551-823X
DOI - 10.1525/ap3a.1993.4.1.199
Subject(s) - arrow , geology , archaeology , geography , computer science , programming language
The Zarzian Epipalaeolithic occupation at Warwasi yielded over 17,000 stone artifacts, with previous analyses resulting in a division of the Zarzian levels into four chronological units. Microliths comprise in excess of 35% of each of the unit assemblages, with geometric forms occurring in the top three units. The most common geometric is the scalene triangle (regular and elongated forms). A variety of metric and nonmetric attributes was recorded for various microlith forms. This paper discusses scalene triangles, elongated scalene triangles, and truncated bladelets. Truncated bladelets may represent unfinished or rejected attempts in the manufacture of the two scalene forms. Macroscopic examination failed to yield evidence of polish, suggesting that these microliths were not used to cut highly siliceous plants at Warwasi. Based on a comparison with attributes of Levantine lunate microliths, several preliminary hypotheses are offered regarding the manner in which scalene and elongated scalene triangles may have been hafted as arrow components.