Archaeological analysis of bedded-chert lithic procurement at the Warsaw Quarries, Coshocton County, Ohio

Abstract

The Warsaw Quarries of Coshocton County, Ohio, virtually ignored since Holmes' landmark papers of 1919, are investigated to achieve several goals: 1) to create a revised general typology of the material culture of bedded-chert lithic procurement sites; 2) to demonstrate that the occurrence of radiocarbon samples at lithic procurement sites is the norm rather than the exception; 3) to clarify the nature of activity at the site through a synthesis of functional and attribute analyses of material recovered from a peripheral spoils ridge; 4) to demonstrate that data collected at procurement sites by surface collection constitutes an insufficient database for analysis; 5) to test an hypothesis that the presumed absence of classic site elements (stratigraphy, diagnostic artifacts, dateable material) is incorrect. Since the completion of late 19`h and early 20`h century work in the field, analysis of quarry sites in North America has been limited to sporadic and usually very subject-specific research. By neglecting to evaluate the overall nature and function of lithic procurement sites, recent work has relegated lithic procurement to a sub-field of only secondary interest to archaeologists.