De interpretatie van gebruikssporen: de afgeronde stukken van Swifterbant (Fl.)

Samenvatting

The interpretation of use-wear analysis: rounded implements from Swifterbant (province of Flevoland). Use-wear analysis of ten rounded implements from the Neolithic site of Swifterbant led to two alternative functional explanations: a use as strike-a-lights (according to Woltinge et al. in this volume) and as plant-processing tools in combination with a possible hafting arrangement (according to the Leiden Laboratory for Artefact Studies). This article discusses the relevance of analogical reasoning for use-wear and residue analysis. It is argued that the different viewpoints may be due to a reliance on different experimental reference collections. The use of different microscopes and magnifications and different cleaning methods may also be responsible for the divergent viewpoints. The article argues for a more cautious interpretative approach towards use-wear analysis.