A New Methodology and Classification System for Describing Three‐Dimensional Particle Formats: Application to Clastic Lithic Products of Archaeological and Geological Origin |
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| Authors: | A. Tarriño |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Universidad del País Vasco, Departamento de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología, Vitoria, álava, Spain;2. Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain |
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| Abstract: | A new classification system is proposed to describe the volumetric formats of clastic lithic products of geological and archaeological origin. In order to build this operative classification, the rectangular block or cuboid is established as the standard geometric format to represent their three‐dimensional format (the X‐axis being length or long diameter, the Y‐axis being the width or intermediate diameter, and the Z‐axis being the thickness or short diameter) on a two‐dimensional diagram. To obtain this graph, each absolute coordinate (X, Y, Z) defining the prisms is projected on to an auxiliary plane with a new set of relative coordinates (x, y, z), expressed as the percentage of their sum. The projection generates a triangular diagram on which the indices of elongation and flatness are represented. A geometric transformation converting the triangular diagram into a quadrangular diagram has been produced in order to better represent the scatter points. Then, a double scale is necessary: (i) an absolute scale to quantify the indices, and (ii) a relative scale to calculate where the graphic locus is projected. This new graph also allows us to work with statistical parameters. Finally, two classic examples of applications selected from the literature are shown. |
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| Keywords: | Three‐dimensional particle format Minimal prism Elongation index Flatness index Triangular Diagram Quadrangular Diagram Clastic lithic product Prehistoric lithic industry |
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