The introduction of a new flaking technique in the Bologna plain area during the Late Mesolithic (Castelnovian) and its relationship with débitage processes of local flint raw material: preliminary considerations

During the Atlantic period lithic technical systems underwent consistent changes over great part of the continent which resulted in the systematic production of regular blades and bladelets. In the Bologna area Castelnovian assemblages are characterised by the exploitation of local lithic raw materials, namely small regular flint pebbles. The reduction schemes applied to the exploitation of these pebbles and the morphology of end-products vary significantly from those of Early Mesolithic (Sauveterrian). As evidenced by analyses carried out, the main aspect which these variations seem to be connected to is the shift from the use of direct percussion in the Sauveterrian to a new flaking technique depending on a higher control of core volumetry in the Castelnovian. The recognition of the new technique adopted (indirect percussion? pressure flaking?), which is here attempted by recording of diagnostic features both on cores and blanks, and a comparison with bibliographic data should be confirmed by a specific experimental program in the future.