Traseologická analýza neolitické štípané industrie z lokalit Bylany, Miskovice, Mšeno a Tachlovice

A very important part of archaeological finds, and often the only one providing information about the population living in Prehistoric period, are the stone artefacts. The study of the stone industry, especially the function of the stone tools, is therefore one of the crucial ways to gain better understanding of prehistoric societies. The function is defined as a combination of the action which a tool was used with and the material it was used on. This thesis consists of several main topics. The first part is focused on history and present state of the microwear analysis, including the detailed description of the use-wear method. It gives the most comprehensive evaluation and insight written in Czech language so far. The second part is based on the broad issue of the contact materials in the context of use-wear analysis and anthropology. Two brand new categories (mushrooms and fruits), along with corresponding descriptions of standard traces (consulted with foreign experts), are introduced. These standards come from author’s own experimental activities and microscopic analysis. The third part summarizes the main findings about the Neolithic Age – and above all, about the life of these people and knowledge about their stone industry – giving a frame for their material culture, discussed in the next chapter. This chapter is also devoted to description of four selected archaeological sites from Bohemia – Bylany (Kutna Hora district), Miskovice (Kutna Hora district), Mšeno (Mělnik district) and Tachlovice (Beroun district). That section also specifically presents the results of the use-wear analysis, performed on the lithic collection of 816 artefacts, and their interpretations. The data obtained through this analysis are compared with data published by other traceologists and discussed in the context of the Neolithic in Central Europe.