Publication
Geochemical fingerprinting of neolitic lithics from central Portugal insights into exchange networks at Anta 1 de Vale da Lage, Tomar
| datacite.subject.fos | Humanidades | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Oosterbeek, Luiz10 | |
| dc.contributor.author | Oguntuase, Mary Aderonke | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-19T16:12:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-19T16:12:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-10-10 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2025-12-19 | |
| dc.description.abstract | 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 | por |
| dc.identifier.tid | 204091578 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/60534 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.rights.uri | N/A | |
| dc.title | Geochemical fingerprinting of neolitic lithics from central Portugal insights into exchange networks at Anta 1 de Vale da Lage, Tomar | por |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Instituto Politécnico de Tomar | |
| thesis.degree.name | Mestrado em Quaternary and Prehistory |