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Geochemical fingerprinting of neolitic lithics from central Portugal insights into exchange networks at Anta 1 de Vale da Lage, Tomar
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Abstract(s)
Lithics are essential for assessing Neolithic contexts, acting as indicators of cultural,
technological, and economic phases. Prehistoric communities sourced local and distant
resources through trade or exchange to craft tools for agriculture, pastoralism, or prestige
items. Funerary rituals were prevalent in shaping the landscape and occurred at designated
sites, either natural or artificial, such as caves or megalithic monuments. In Portugal, the Anta
1 de Vale da Laje (VL1) is the oldest known passage grave in the Alto Ribatejo region.
Despite extensive multidisciplinary research including archaeology, architecture,
micromorphology, archaeobotany, phosphate analysis, pottery, sedimentology, and dietary
studies, the origin of the lithic tools remains uncertain.
This study employs a multi-method approach —typological, geochemical (via pXRF),
petrographic, and spatial distribution analyses —to establish possible provenance. It focuses
on arrowheads and geometric microliths, comparing them with raw material flint samples
from Rio Maior region stored at the Instituto Terra e Memória in Mação (ITM Rio Maior)
for geochemical fingerprinting, aiming to identify resource sources and explore symbolic
practices. A total of 186 samples were analyzed: 174 lithic artefacts and 12 flint samples from
ITM Rio Maior.
The techno-typological results show a predominance of arrowheads with unbroken points,
suggesting they were produced as burial offerings, probably sourced from local and distant
locations.
Portable XRF detected Platinum Group Elements (PGEs), such as Ru, Rh, and Pd, indicating
a local source. Petrographic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses identified
flint and silcrete in the debitage residues, reflecting a procurement strategy based on local
resources and/or exchange. Spatial analysis indicates long-term use by communities for over
two millennia, with lithic tool distribution across stratigraphic layers suggesting occasional
or seasonal occupation by highly mobile groups. Overall, the research deepens understanding
of prehistoric behaviour and the evolving role of VL1 during the Neolithic in
Central Portugal