Flint blade use-wear in Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic collective burials: data from Pastora Cave (Eastern Spain)

Abstract

The site of Pastora Cave, located in eastern Spain, provides us with an interesting funerary sequence for the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic period (middle IV millennium until the last centuries of III millennium cal BC). The site was excavated in 1940, 1945 and 1950 and is one of over 130 known burial caves with multiple inhumations in the Valencia region from this period. Numerous human remains were found (55) with some rich and elaborate grave goods, especially flint blades made with foreign raw materials. In this work we present the results of technological and functional analyses of 61 blades from this site. The results show clear differences in size and technological characteristics that suggest several areas of production origins. We identified a lack of use wear for a significant number of these objects and propose hypotheses about the meaning of their presence in funerary contexts.