The Archaeology of the Daily Grind: Ground Stone Tools and Food Production in the Southern Levant

Abstract

Few people in the world today work with stone tools that they, or their immediate community, manufactured. But this is a recent development, as stone tools have played a central role in daily life for many millennia, for hunter-gatherers, settled agriculturalists and pastoralists. As a fundamental component of the food-production tool kit, these are the most visible artifacts to provide information about a daily activity necessary to human survival. Ground stone tools can offer insights into such diverse phenomena as changes in diet and food processing techniques, mobility and residence patterns, division of labor, and specialized activities related to cultic practices.