Born Again: Multiple Biographies of Ground and Abrasive Stone Tools in the Neolithic of Serbia

Abstract

Because of their hardness, toughness, and durability, stone tools had a long, dynamic, and complex life in which they could pass through different segments of the operating chain again and again until their final disposal. Various aspects of the use of rocks and minerals as raw materials were particularly emphasized during the Neolithic period, when the technology of stone working reached its peak. Stone tools wore out slowly and could be used for a long time with constant renewal. Even after being damaged, they started a new life cycle through various recycling processes or in a secondary context. Although very interesting for research, these specific ways in which stone objects were redirected to a secondary or recycling function, usually after damage in their original function, are often neglected in archaeological studies. The spectrum of repeated functions of such stone tools is broad, ranging from utilitarian to symbolic purposes, and provides important information about the cultural practices of the communities that made and used them. The aim of this paper is to clarify the use of the terms for repeated, prolonged, secondary, and reused use within the lithic industry and to present the most common examples of the use of ground and abrasive tools in secondary contexts in the Neolithic of Serbia, focusing primarily on tools for everyday use and the ways in which their function was redirected through different segments of the operational chain.