Source to discard: patterns of lithic raw material procurement and use in Sturt National Park, northwestern New South Wales

Abstract

Abstract Sturt National Park, located in arid Northwestern New South Wales, has an abundance of stone sources occurring as outcrops and pavements of rounded cobbles (gibber); the flaking quality of the silcrete varies according to its geological characteristics. Detailed studies have focused on the procurement and use of these silcrete sources using a quarry and two nearby lithic scatters in the Stud Creek catchment. The results show that quarry location was influenced by the outcrop type; rare massive outcrops were targeted while the much more common columnar silcrete was ignored. Furthermore, several factors have influenced stone use and tool forms, not only stone abundance and quality, but also the type of stone resource, the form and size of the blocks/boulders available, and the distance from the source. These factors have interacted to create the patterns of discard observed today.