% pubman genre = article
@article{item_3502002,
title = {{Heat exposed lithics: an experimental approach to quantifying potlids by temperature}},
author = {Abdolahzadeh, Aylar and Leader, George M. and Li, Li and Olszewski, Deborah I. and Schurr, Theodore G.},
language = {eng},
issn = {2352409X},
doi = {10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103894},
publisher = {Elsevier},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04},
abstract = {{The overarching goal of this study was to investigate the characteristics of fire at an archaeological site (mainly the intensity and duration of a fire event) through the analysis of lithic heat fractures in a lithic assemblage. Previous attempts to understand these characteristics have relied on the analysis of organic fire residues, such as charcoal, and/or the presence of hearths or combustion features. While the effects of heating variables on lithic fracturing have been studied, the number of controlled experiments attempting to quantify lithic heat fracture is small. Thus, we conducted controlled experiments to evaluate the effects of temperature and duration of heating on the formation of potlid fractures on the external surfaces of flakes. We used a laboratory furnace to modify the intensity of heat (temperature) and the timing of the heating exposure (duration) while keeping the ramp rate and cooling time constant. Based on the exposure of 45 knapped flint flakes to this protocol, we observed that there is an association between the intensity of lithic heat fracture (i.e., the high frequency of potlidding in lithic assemblages) and high temperature fire (483 {\mbox{$^\circ$}}C [900{\mbox{$^\circ$}}F]). A longer heating duration ({\textgreater}4 h) had no detectable influence when the effect of heating temperature and ramp rate was controlled. Applying our experimental results to burned flints from the Middle Paleolithic site of Ain Difla, Jordan, we inferred that those lithics were exposed to high temperature fire with close proximity to the heat source because of the high frequency of potlidded flakes in this assemblage. An important implication of these results is that, in the absence of hearths or combustion features, burned lithics can be valuable indicators of the intensity of fire, the type of exposure, and duration of heating at an archaeological site.}},
journal = {{Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports}},
volume = {48},
eid = {103894},
}