"the lithics site"
a resource for archaeological lithic analysts
http://wings.buffalo.edu/anthropology/lithics.html

Hugh W. Jarvis (PhD, MLS)
University at Buffalo


This resource has been published in issue 22, spring 1999, of Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship. For its publication, many revisions were made to this site. I have not marked them, but will mark changes from June 1st, 1999.

Please note that much of this information is located on other Web sites. I endeavour to link to useful and informative pages, but neither I, nor the University at Buffalo is responsible for their content, nor should their presence in this resource be considered an evaluation of their accuracy. Caveat lector!!

Look for items that are NEW! to this page or from the LOCAL! archive, and please tell me what I am missing.

This site was last updated: Dec 1, 2008 .

Table of Contents

  1. General Web Sites
    1. Archaeology
      (general & lithic meta-sites, dictionaries & glossaries)
    2. Relevant Earth Science References:
      (meta-sites, dictionaries, maps, databases & collections, USGS, etc.)
    3. Inter-/ Cross- Disciplinary Science
  2. Research Projects & Initiatives
  3. Literature & Databases
    1. Libraries & Library Resources
    2. Bibliographies
    3. Periodicals
    4. Book & Article Links
    5. Radio & TV Shows
    6. Newspaper Story Links
    7. Databases
  4. Relevant Educational & Institutional Sites
    1. Academic Departments with Relevant Resources
    2. Archaeological Courses on Lithics
    3. Research Centers & Laboratories
    4. Geological Surveys
    5. Organisations & Associations
  5. Electronic Fora (discussion lists and newsgroups)
  6. Technology Concerns (incl. knapping & replication studies)
  7. Prehistoric Cultural & Artifact Information & Theories (incl. artifacts & point typologies)
  8. Geological Sources, Samples, & Procurement
  9. "Images on Stone" / Rock Art Sites
  10. Software & Data
  11. Commercial Concerns (no artifacts!)
  12. Museum-Related Concerns
1. General Web Sites
  1. ARCHAEOLOGY
    These are general archaeological meta-sites with broad coverage and others with a more specific focus on lithic archaeology.

    WWW V-Lib & Meta-Sites:

    General Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, & Glossaries:

  2. RELEVANT EARTH SCIENCE REFERENCES
    These exemplary earth science resources provide access to a wealth of backgroud information for archaeological research.

    WWW V-Lib & Meta-Sites:

    Geological Dictionaries, Glossaries, Bibliographies, Encyclopedias, & Gazeteers

    Maps: (also see links in Commercial Concerns below)

    Mineral Databases: (physical properties & images)

    Mineral Collections: (illustrated examples)

    USGS Information:

    Miscellaneous:

  3. INTER-/ CROSS- DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE
    The following sites provide initial access to cross- or interdisciplinary knowlege.

2. Research Projects & Initiatives
Summaries of archaeological research are being published online with growing frequency. The following sites were chosen because they focus heavily or even solely on lithics.

3. Literature & Databases
The online publication of archaeological information is growing at least as rapidly as its print relative, and is certainly more difficult to track. The following resources provide bibliographic and searchable database access to this literature, as well as direct links to online documents.

  1. LIBRARIES & LIBRARY RESOURCES

  2. BIBLIOGRAPHIES

  3. PERIODICALS
    Meta-Resources:

    Journals:

  4. BOOK & ARTICLE LINKS
    The following are online or digital versions of books and articles.

  5. RADIO & TV SHOW LINKS
    The following are links to information on stories broadcastvia radio or television.

    • Scientific American Frontiers presents Mediterranean on the Rocks premiering Tue Mar 28, '00 US 8pm EST
      "In 'The Paper Boat', Curtis Runnels of Boston University and Harry Tzalas of the Hellenic Institute for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition in Athens use their knowledge of prehistoric building practices to fashion an obsidian hand tool and a replica Stone Age reed boat."

  6. NEWSPAPER STORY LINKS
    The following are links to online newspaper stories.

  7. DATABASES

4. Relevant Educational & Institutional Sites
This section is intended to provide access to educational and research institutions that offer relevant programs or engage in relevant research, or that might provide contacts for relevant information.

  1. ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS WITH RELEVANT RESOURCES

  2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL COURSES ON LITHICS

  3. RESEARCH CENTERS & LABORATORIES

  4. GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS (alphabetised by country)

  5. ORGANISATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS

5. Electronic Fora
EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS (aka "Lists")

USENET NEWSGROUPS
OTHER MEDIA

6. Technology Concerns
This section lists sites on flint knapping and artifact replication, and issues of importance to them.

META-SITES

INDIVIDUAL SITES

7. Prehistoric Cultural & Artifact Information & Theories:
Lithic archaeologists also need to have access to information about the prehistoric cultures that produced and used the lithic materials.

8. Geological Sources, Samples, & Procurement:
Archaeologists who study procurement and exchange behavior rely heavily on geological fieldwork for information about the provenance of lithic raw materials. Often the natural geological outcrops are overlain by prehistoric or even historic rock quarries. (Published articles on this topic will be in the articles section above.)

9. "Images on Stone" / Rock Art Sites:
Past peoples expressed their world view in a variety of ways. Some of these involved the manipulation of lithic materials, through reposition of whole stones, or changes to the raw material color or shape.

10. Software & Data
This is a brief set of links to useful software resources and datasets. A few utilities have been created specifically to analyse lithic data, while others provide help for analyzing archaeological data in general.

11. Commercial Concerns
This section provides sources for lithic samples, related reference materials, maps, books, or supplies, but no sites where artifacts are sold.

12. Museum-Related Concerns
This section provides sources for information relevant to curating, displaying, or preserving lithic objects.

Maintained by Hugh Jarvis < hjarvis AT buffalo.edu>