[PREVIOUS] [CONTENTS] [NEXT]
Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship Spring 1999

Science and Technology Resources on the Internet

Resources for Archaeological Lithic Analysts

Hugh W. Jarvis
Graduate Student
School of Information & Library Studies
and Department of Anthropology
University at Buffalo
hjarvis@acsu.buffalo.edu
[Note: Information as of 8/02:
Hugh Jarvis, Ph.D., MLS
Cybrarian/Web Information Coordinator
Creative Services - University at Buffalo
330 Crofts Hall, Buffalo, New York, USA 14260-7015
hjarvis@buffalo.edu]
Like many disciplines, archaeology has rapidly embraced new technologies as they have become available. However, archaeology may very well be a unique case. While their training places them solidly within the social sciences or even humanities, archaeologists are routinely forced to acquire skills and knowledge from outside their core discipline in order to make the great jump from the material record to a level where they can gain insight into human behavior . As their analytical toolkit has evolved, an increasingly complex mixture of interdisciplinary knowledge has been required to keep pace.

While those who contribute to archaeology may come from all the other scholarly disciplines, it is the archaeologists who typically must coordinate the research efforts, pull together all of the resulting information, and conduct the final analysis. This feat requires access to a wide range of knowledge.

The material evidence of our collective past, namely the tools, architectural remains, art forms, and incidental products of past activities, is aptly called the "archaeological record". While a variety of materials are preserved, including ceramics and organic materials, the great majority is recorded in stone.

From these lithic materials, a great deal of information can be culled. The sources of raw materials tell us about procurement and exchange patterns. The nature of the materials and their finished products tell us about technology, skill, and shared learning. Some of the artifacts can also be dated, providing us with more precise chronologies.

In order to conduct research in this niche, archaeologists must be able to draw on the wealth of the earth sciences as well as cross-disciplinary fields such as archaeometry and material sciences. This webliography is intended to aid in this endeavor, providing links not only to archaeological sites of value to lithic archaeologists, but also to relevant sites from those other fields as well.

Table of Contents

  1. General Web Sites
    1. Archaeology
      (general & lithic meta-sites, dictionaries & glossaries)
    2. Relevant Earth Sciences:
      (meta-sites, dictionaries, maps, databases & collections, USGS, etc.)
    3. Inter-/ Cross- Disciplinary Science
  2. Research Projects
  3. Literature & Databases
    1. Libraries & Library Resources
    2. Bibliographies
    3. Periodicals
    4. Book & Article Links
    5. Databases
  4. Relevant Educational & Institutional Sites
    1. Academic Departments with Relevant Resources
    2. Archaeological Courses on Lithics
    3. Research Centers & Laboratories
    4. Geological Surveys
    5. Organisations & Associations
  5. Electronic Fora (discussion lists and newsgroups)
  6. Technology Concerns (incl. knapping & replication studies)
  7. Prehistoric Cultural & Artifact Information (incl. artifacts & point typologies)
  8. Geological Sources & Procurement
  9. "Images on Stone" / Rock Art Sites
  10. Software & Data
  11. Commercial Concerns (no artifacts!)

1. General Web Sites

  1. ARCHAEOLOGY
    These are general archaeological meta-sites with broad coverage and others with a more specific focus on lithic archaeology.

    WWW V-Lib & Meta-Sites:

    Dictionaries & Glossaries:

  2. RELEVANT EARTH SCIENCES
    These exemplary earth science resources provide access to a wealth of backgroud information for archaeological research.

    WWW V-Lib & Meta-Sites:

    Dictionaries, Glossaries, Bibliographies, Encyclopedias, etc.:

    Maps: (also see links in Commercial Concerns below)

    Mineral Databases: (physical properties & images)

    Mineral Collections: (illustrated examples)

    USGS Information:

    Miscellaneous:

  3. INTER-/ CROSS- DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE
    The following sites provide initial access to cross- or interdisciplinary knowlege.

2. Research Projects
Summaries of archaeological research are being published online with growing frequency. The following sites were chosen because they focus heavily or even solely on lithics.

3. Literature & Databases
The online publication of archaeological information is growing at least as rapidly as its print relative, and is certainly more difficult to track. The following resources provide bibliographic and searchable database access to this literature, as well as direct links to online documents.

  1. LIBRARIES & LIBRARY RESOURCES

  2. BIBLIOGRAPHIES

  3. PERIODICALS
    Meta-Resources:

    Journals:

  4. BOOK & ARTICLE LINKS
    The following are online or digital versions of books and articles.

  5. DATABASES

4. Relevant Educational & Institutional Sites
This section is intended to provide access to educational and research institutions that offer relevant programs or engage in relevant research, or that might provide contacts for relevant information.

  1. ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS WITH RELEVANT RESOURCES

  2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL COURSES ON LITHICS

  3. RESEARCH CENTERS & LABORATORIES

  4. GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS (alphabetised by country)

  5. ORGANISATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS

5. Electronic Fora
EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS (aka "Lists")

USENET NEWSGROUPS

6. Technology Concerns
This section lists sites on flint knapping and artifact replication, and issues of importance to them.

META-SITES

INDIVIDUAL SITES

7. Prehistoric Cultural & Artifact Information:
Lithic archaeologists also need to have access to information about the prehistoric cultures that produced and used the lithic materials.

8. Geological Sources & Procurement:
Archaeologists who study procurement and exchange behavior rely heavily on geological fieldwork for information about the provenance of lithic raw materials. Often the natural geological outcrops are overlain by prehistoric or even historic rock quarries. (Published articles on this topic will be in the articles section above.)

9. "Images on Stone" / Rock Art Sites:
Past peoples expressed their world view in a variety of ways. Some of these involved the manipulation of lithic materials, through reposition of whole stones, or changes to the raw material color or shape.

10. Software & Data
This is a brief set of links to useful software resources and datasets. A few utilities have been created specifically to analyse lithic data, while others provide help for analyzing archaeological data in general.

11. Commercial Concerns
This section provides sources for lithic samples, maps, books, or supplies, but no sites where artifacts are sold.

Maintained by Hugh Jarvis < hjarvis@acsu.buffalo.edu>

FEEDBACK

We welcome your comments about this article. Please fill out this form for possible inclusion in a future issue.

[PREVIOUS] [CONTENTS] [NEXT]

W3C 3.2 Checked!