A Study On Stone Implements From Luotuodun Site, Jiangsu Province

Stone implements, as the most common artifacts unearthed from the Neolithic sites, their manufacture technique, usage, and function are important to the understanding of the production mode and culture of prehistoric society. The Luotuodun Site is the most representative prehistoric site in the western Tai Lake area. The unique Flat-bottomed Fu of Luotuodun Site is different from the Round-bottomed Fu, unearthed from the Majiabang Cultural Sites in the eastern Tai Lake area. The study of the Luotuodun Site can fill the research vacancy of the Majiabang Culture in the western Tai Lake area, and the study of its stone implements can also help us learn more about the production and culture of prehistoric society.43stone implements from the Luotuodun Site are selected to be the study objects for this dissertation, including3axes,15poleaxes,17adzes, and8chisels. Firstly, a visual inspection of these stone implements is conducted to survey and map according to the original size, and to identify their lithology. Then, the dissertation names and describes the details of the different kinds of stone implements, and discusses their creation method and usage. Finally, in combination with morphological analysis, the type analysis has been performed for the four kinds of stone implements.The stone axes and poleaxes, are mainly assembled with their handle shaped like "--". According to the different transverse, the three stone axes can be divided into oblate-axe and tetragonum-axe. Through observation and analysis, the lithology of the two tetragonum-axes is the granite and the green pyroxenite, which can be used for cutting trees. As to the oblate-axe, its lithology is the greywacke, and it can be used as the stone wedge for making the planking. Therefore, the research proves the correspondence between the form and function of stone implements. The lithology of the15stone poleaxes are mainly slates and hornstone, and some are of the sandstone, granite, and Angular feldspar with high hardness. According to the broadside morphological variation, the poleaxes can be divided into3categories:straight-edge, arc-edge and concave-edge ones. The arc-edge can be also sorted into several types due to the different ratio of width and thickness. The diversity in morphology and type of stone poleaxes reflects their different usage. The renewal frequency of their blade surface reveals the difference in their using frequency, damage location and extent, and action objects.The lithology of the stone adzes are mainly the slates and hornstone. The number and type of adzes are most abundant among the four kinds of stone implements. Thus, the adzes are most widely used with the largest number of functions. According to the different obverse shapes, the17adzes are divided into trapezoidal-adze and rectangle-adze. Then, based on the different surface shape, the rectangle-adzes can be divided into straight fronted, arcfronteded, and redged ones. Most blade surfaces have been renewed in several times, which shows their high frequency of using. The adzes are diversified in terms of their shapes, handle-installation methods, and usages. Some of them are assembled with their handle like the form of "T", and are used for cutting. Some have handles like "-", and are used as stone knife for dismembering the animal bones. In addition, some are used as jagger, chisel or wedge.The8chisels are similar to the adzes in shape and structure. The lithology of the them are mainly the slates and hornstone. With their different obverse shapes, they can be divided into straight fronted and arc fronteded ones. Then, with regard to the length and width ratio, these two kinds of chisels can be classified into several types. Compared with the adzes, the quantity and type of chisels are relatively smaller. In terms of the function, the chisels are not only used as a chisel, but also as an adze, which suggests the functional overlaps these two kinds of stone implements share.