Lithic Knife Tool and Subsistence Activities in Neolithic Era: A Research based on Unearthed Articles in Amsadong Site

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to approach Low-Level food Production in Neolithic era by using Lithic knife Tool which has not been focused so far. Low-Level food Production stage is interpreted as an economic activity for subsistence, which could manage and utilize plant resources added to established food gathering economics, that is, the early stage of farming. However, Neolithic era in Korean peninsular do not have enough archeological evidence for Low-Level food Production stage because grain analyzing in Neolithic era has not been fully made in all the remains in that period. To make up for this, mutual approach in truly important thorough the stone tools for subsistence. Especially, the middle western area which adopted farming for the first time does not have enough analyzing information for grain respectively. Therefore, the approach through the stone tools for subsistence is absolutely needed. Because of this, well- known Amsadong village remains were chosen. The main trait of the Neolithic Lithic knife Tool based on analyzing data is that firstly it is a small part of all the unearthed items. Second, it departs from the standard pattern. Third, Lithic knife Tool is likely to be produced during by using width flake in the process of making a large-scale item rather than is made through a systematic process. Lithic knife Tool is likely to be made with natural sharp blade from width flake. This kind of trait has been shown in Lithic knife Tool items in Korean peninsular. Fourth, Lithic knife Tool in Neolithic era is excavated mainly from alluvion areas and unearthed items increased as the late Neolithic ear came. Fifth, alluvion remains excavated with grain has Lithic knife Tool. It tells us that we could see plant resources and Lithic knife Tool used as a harvesting tool also increased in the remains as it goes to the late Neolithic era. Despite the fact that grain analyzing evidence is not fully gathered yet, until now, Amsadong site is one of the major sites which shows harvest, management and utilization of plant resources by using Lithic knife Tool remains. This means that in the bronze age considered as an agrarian society, a standardized Stone Harvesting Knives was used as a exclusive tool for harvesting plant as food resource but at Amsadong site in Neolithic period considered as a low-level food production stage, exclusive tool as a tool for gathering food might not be used. Instead, it might be possible that width flake with naturally made sharp blade in the process of making large tools occurred sometimes and it was used as a tool for plant food gathering.