Microlithic use in the Western Mediterranean

Geometric microliths have been often considered as an important cultural and chronological marker for the study of lithic assemblages, especially for European Mesolithic and Neolithic. However, systematic studies on microlith function are still lacking. In this paper we present a synthesis of microwear analysis realized on a number of sites, in Western Mediterranean, dated between the VI-V millennium. Our objective is to investigate the significance and the recurrence of those instruments within a spectrum of different contexts. Results indicate that, within a global tendency for microliths use as hunting weapons, there is a certain degree of variability on the basis of environmental, economical and cultural factors that strongly influence their production and mode of use.