Sickles of the Funnelbeaker culture in the light of use-wear and residue analysis

The aim of this paper is to present new data on the use of plants and on flint management by Funnel Beaker societies. Studies of usewear and residues on flint tools from the Polwica-Skrzypnik site complex located in SW Poland included microscopic analyses of traces, starch and phytoliths, and adhesives. According to the usewear analysis, most of the tools were used as sickle inserts. The production of sickles was mainly based on goodquality imported flint material, but local groups also supplemented their needs with local flint. The identified phytoliths can be assigned to the grass and sedge families Poaceae and Cyperaceae, respectively, and to the subfamily Panicoideae of Poaceae. Microscopic traces indicate that inserts were re-sharpened during use and recycled by modifying them into other morphological and functional tools, such as hide scrapers. FTIR and GCMS analyses show that the resinous substance preserved on the surfaces of the flint tools is wood tar, obtained by a process of pyrolysis of the bark of Betulaceae trees.