Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

TELL QARAMEL

SYRIA

FLINT (CHIPPED STONE) INDUSTRY

Over 100 kg of flint artifacts were picked up,
most of them from the southernmost
trenches L-5 and L-4b,d/M-4. The Late
PPNA levels are characterized by the usage of
bipolar cores with a single striking platform,
similar to “navy core forms” but with less
intensive preparation on both sides. Blades
8-10 cm long and 2-3 cm wide were struck
from such cores and used for making many
types of tools. Sickle blades in the form of
long-backed pieces with the back on the
shorter side were the most prevalent. Next in
line were points of the Helwan type and
forms similar to the Mureybet type, but
smaller, with one pair of recesses close to
a massive handle. Points were the most
characteristic form of tools in this assemblage.
Other numerous tools were borers and
perforators with long, slender and straight
shafts, wedge and corner burins, end-scrapers
made of flakes with cortex, retouched blades
and some semi-backed pieces. Tools from the
Late PPNA levels were generally larger than
those coming from older levels where Early
PPNA occupation was confirmed.
Comparatively less flint artifacts were
recorded from the earliest PPNA levels in
squares J-8b,d, J-7b,d, and K-7. These were
mainly unipolar cores used usually for the
production of blades, characterized by
changing direction of striking. The blades

were 4-7 cm long and 1 -2 cm wide. Most of
the other tools belonged to the same types as
in the younger levels, except for the points.
El-Khiam type and some specific
Qaramelian handle-points without recesses
were only present in these older levels.
Usually, they were 2-3 cm long and
1.00-1.50 cm wide. The number of burins
(also made of flakes) was larger than before,
while the proportion of sickle blades in the
shape of backed pieces dropped. Three
fragments of lunates were recorded from the
lowest layers, but even so this kind of tool
remains very rare.
The flint artifacts from the presumed
Proto-Neolithic settlement in square J-8b,d,
comprised only some blades struck from
unipolar, probably conical cores, approx.
1.00 cm long and 1.50 cm wide.
Almost 96% of the tools and other flint
artifacts were made of chocolate flint. In Late
PPNA levels, a 0.5% frequency of gray
obsidian was observed (fragments of blades,
retouched blades, fragment of a core for
a massive blade), which is completely absent
in Early PPNA levels. The remaining
material consists of burned, undefined flints
and some flints of poorer quality which were
sporadically collected in the neighborhood,
in wadis and local outcrops on both banks of
the Nahar Quoeiq River.

GROUND AND PECKED STONE INDUSTRY

The ground and pecked stone industry of the
transitional horizon from the Protoneolithic
to the Early Aceramic Neolithic, and of
the developed PPNA was represented by
157 objects (for a selection of the finds, see
Figs 17-20). The assemblage contained
the following classes (symbols referring to

R.F. Mazurowski’s classification system
[1997] are given in parentheses): a bolas ball
made of gray flint (IA2); a circular, quern-
like form with trough-shaped cross section
(IIA1); one complete and 23 fragments of
oval querns with trough-shaped cross-
sections, nearly all made of basalt and

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007