The scent of sandstone – exploring a TRB material

Susan Hydén

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Abstract

The aim of this article is to briefly explore how quartz-rich sandstone might have been perceived by TRB societies. Using the senses as a point of departure, it discusses how sandstone was selected for grinding stones and for dry walling in megaliths, emphasizing the significance of the visual as well as the mechanical
properties of the material. The article also acknowledges the complexity of the way in which the material was perceived. The significance of sandstone was shaped by context, implying that a changing context altered its significance. Ultimately, this study is a call for taking materials seriously by exploring them in a more nuanced way. Analogies, for example, can be very useful – not as proof, but as a way of raising questions and scenting the diversity of the Neolithic.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNeolithic Diversities : Perspectives from a conference in Lund, Sweden Acta Archaeologica Lundensia, Series in 8o
EditorsKristian Brink, Susan Hydén, Kristina Jennbert, Lars Larsson, Deborah Olausson
PublisherDepartment of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University
Pages224-232
Volume65
ISBN (Print)978-91-89578-60-9
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Publication series

Name
Volume65

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • History and Archaeology

Free keywords

  • sandstone
  • grinding stones
  • ground stone artefacts
  • Neolithic
  • material culture
  • tools
  • megaliths
  • analogies
  • dry stone wall

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