Using Fire for Woodworking: An Experimental Exploration of Use-Wear on Lithic Tools

ABSTRACT Throughout prehistoric times, woodworking was an essential activity. We know this because of the existence of preserved wooden objects, as well as the use-wear traces recorded on lithic tools. In general terms, functional studies and experimental programs have aimed to analyze and understand the use-wear traces generated by green and dry wood. However, some of the wood remains preserved across time show signs of thermal alteration caused by fire. For this reason, we have carried out an experimental program in which green, dry and thermoaltered wood have been worked in order to study the traces generated on the lithic tools. The results show significant differences between the use-wear traces generated by green and dry woods, and thermally altered wood. This indicates that it would be possible to recognize signs of work with thermoaltered wood on archaeological lithic tools and, therefore, to better understand the working processes of past populations.