The 4^th Meeting of the Association for Ground Stone Tools Research

” Anthropological insights into Ground Stone technologies”

26-28 April 2023

Paris (France)

Dear Colleagues,

The University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and the French Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) are pleased to invite you to the 4th meeting of the Association of Ground Stone Tools Research. The meeting aims to bring together researchers from different fields: Archaeology, Anthropology, Ethnography, Geology, Archaeobotany, Archaeological Science and all researchers interested in the study of ground stone tools from all over the world.

The 4th AGSTR meeting offers insights into the general topic: "Anthropological insights into ground stone technologies". Ground stone tools are among the oldest tools in human prehistory. Because of their key role in many aspects of daily life, from food processing to craft production, their study offers an important contribution to our knowledge of the technological systems, behaviors and choices of past and present communities worldwide.
This session will specifically address the anthropological questions that underpin GST studies in order to shed light on economics and social organization. How do GST studies contribute to discussing the organization of production and the distribution of tasks between genders, generations and social groups? Levels of know-how and skills, as well as different models of apprenticeship, can be explored for the acquisition of raw materials and for the production and use of tools. How can we approach knowledge networks, transmission rules and associated territories in prehistoric and historic times, using archaeological remains, texts or current research? What methods, including technological and functional analysis, enable a detailed discussion of these questions?
Following the original aims of the AGSTR, all contributions dealing with the origin, technology, use-wear and residue analysis or other aspects of the study of ground-stone tools are welcome to discuss this topic from prehistoric to historic times.

The organizers,

Caroline Hamon and Haris Procopiou

Language: English is the official language for the Conference.

Deadline for submitting abstracts: 15th December 2022.