The accurate categorisation of the marks left on stone surfaces by the repetition of consistent gestures has become particularly meaningful in unveiling quarrying techniques. Traces of stone workings, left by the use of tools, constitute crucial information for recognising and interpreting the operational sequence (the chaîne opératoire) followed by quarrymen at quarry fronts, thus unveiling different scales of craftsmanship: from the specific process needed for detaching a single block to the general organisation of labour. Tool marks show how specialisation in extraction procedures may also be driven by the nature of the stone itself, and the agency of the rock should therefore be questioned when reconstructing the chaîne opératoire required for cutting stone blocks. The interpretation of tool marks supports the reconstruction of the technical gestures carried out by quarrymen, as well as the conveyance of specific know-how within the workers’ community and the affordances of the stone itself (Gosden and Malafouris 2015). Broader theoretical thoughts on the cognitive development and transmission of techniques can be applied to the material evidence of different quarrying strategies, the construction of specific taskscapes and the crystallisation of assignments in the socio-cultural context. The examples herein are drawn from ethnographic case studies of a marble quarrying district near Carrara, in northeast Tuscany, Italy.
The hand, the stone and the mind: Exploring the agency of rocks in quarrying techniques
Claudia Sciuto
2023-01-01
Abstract
The accurate categorisation of the marks left on stone surfaces by the repetition of consistent gestures has become particularly meaningful in unveiling quarrying techniques. Traces of stone workings, left by the use of tools, constitute crucial information for recognising and interpreting the operational sequence (the chaîne opératoire) followed by quarrymen at quarry fronts, thus unveiling different scales of craftsmanship: from the specific process needed for detaching a single block to the general organisation of labour. Tool marks show how specialisation in extraction procedures may also be driven by the nature of the stone itself, and the agency of the rock should therefore be questioned when reconstructing the chaîne opératoire required for cutting stone blocks. The interpretation of tool marks supports the reconstruction of the technical gestures carried out by quarrymen, as well as the conveyance of specific know-how within the workers’ community and the affordances of the stone itself (Gosden and Malafouris 2015). Broader theoretical thoughts on the cognitive development and transmission of techniques can be applied to the material evidence of different quarrying strategies, the construction of specific taskscapes and the crystallisation of assignments in the socio-cultural context. The examples herein are drawn from ethnographic case studies of a marble quarrying district near Carrara, in northeast Tuscany, Italy.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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