Petrographic and geochemical analyses of flint raw materials from Bulgaria: A reliable combination for provenance studies of archaeological flint

摘要

The Bulgarian prehistoric sequence is characterized by the use of particular raw materials in distinct 'cultural' contexts. The Karanovo I and II stages of the Early Neolithic (part of a supra-regional technocomplex in the Balkans) are recognisable by formal toolkits made of Balkan flint. The Chalcolithic period is famous for its superblades made of high-quality Ludogorie flint, which also attain a wider Balkan distribution. Despite a solid corpus of reliable data for northern Bulgaria from our previous field surveys and laboratory analyses, there are still questions that can only be resolved by further research. This paper presents the results of petrographic and chemical (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of a series of archaeological artefacts and raw material samples collected during a survey in Shumen District of northeast Bulgaria. These data allow us to i) distinguish two new types of flint (Shumen I and II) which are represented by both raw material outcrops and artefacts and previously referred to as 'Moesian flint'; and ii) expand our analytical data for the Kriva Reka type of Ludogorie flint, confirming its substantial role in prehistoric flint production, distribution and use. These results suggest a more complex network of raw material sources and distribution routes in prehistory than previously assumed.