Journal Analele Banatului N.S. Archaeology-History

Mihai Dunca

Clasificarea uneltelor din piatră şlefuită din situl de la Porţ-„Corău” / The Typological Clasification of the Polished Stone Tools from Porţ-„Corău”

Jan. 1, 2016

Abstract

The site of Porț-“Corău” (Sălaj County) represents the same neolithic settlement as Suplacu de Barcău-“Corău” site (Bihor County), belonging and defining the Suplac cultural group, included in the Cluj-Cheile Turzii-Lumea Nouă-Zau-Iclod-Suplac complex, redefined also as Zau culture. In both areas, but especially at Porț, a large number of polished stone tools (about 1700), showing different working stages, were discovered along with raw material showing traces of manufacture. The sistematic investigations, conducted by Doina Ignat at Suplacu de Barcău, lead to the discovery of more than 500 polished stone tools, making the site of “Corău” the richest one in this type of artifacts in the whole country. She had created a typology for chiesels, axes, adzes and smashing stones, each category being divided into types and subtypes. The preventive diggings from Porț gave us not only more polished stone artifacts, but also the possibility to reconsider their typology. First we must add some categories to those defined by D. Ignat: strikers, axe-chiesels, and tools used only for manufacturing the stone tools: sandstone slabs for polishing and stone slabs used for cutting/splitting the preforms. Second, and more important, we must redefine the types and subtypes of each category, based on common and general criterias. We have chosen usually the shape to define the type and the long profile to define the subtipe, adding here the presence of perforation. The main forms found for chiesels, axes and adzes are: rectangular, elongated, trapezoidal, oval, quadrilateral. The long profiles can be: rectangular, plain-rounded, plainconvex, rounded, oblique. Different combination between shapes and profiles appear. No chronological value can be given to the typology, the lithic material can be dated only by its context. The typology remains open for other types and subtypes based on the same criteria.