Identification of local and allochthonous flint artefacts from the Middle Palaeolithical site ‘Abrigo de la Quebrada’ (Chelva, Valencia, Spain) by macroscopic and physicochemical methods

Abstract

This work summarizes the characterization of flint artefacts from the Middle Palaeolithic site ‘Abrigo de la Quebrada’ (Chelva, Valencia, Spain) and flint geological samples collected in the Chelva area. Additionally, some flint artefacts located outside this geographical zone were also analysed and compared with the samples from the Abrigo de la Quebrada site. Flint samples have been studied using methods of macroscopic description and physicochemical analysis [energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD)]. Multivariate statistical analysis of the EDXRF data and the determination of the crystalline index of quartz, obtained from the XRD patterns, are suitable methods to discriminate between local and allochthonous flint artefacts in agreement with the macroscopic classification. These results provide new analytical information of the flint artefacts on a geographical area that had not been studied so far.