The use of flints in prehistory and modern times on open air sites from sandy lowlands. The case of the site Żanęcin 9, Wiązowna commune, Mazowieckie voivodship

Open-air archaeological sites situated on dunes near various rivers are characteristic of the Polish lowlands. Excavations at these sites typically yield chronologically and culturally diverse artefacts made of non-organic materials, such as fired clay or stone. Assigning these artefacts to specific chronological-cultural units is often challenging due to the absence of a clear stratigraphic context. An additional complication arises from the geological characteristics of these dune sites, which lack local stone resources, including flint, that could have been utilised in situ by past human communities. Consequently, flint artefacts discovered at these locations are almost invariably imports, reflecting the activities of different groups across various periods. The patterns of flint exploitation by the communities inhabiting the site discussed in this study were determined through an analysis of analogous material from one of the best-documented sites of this type. At Żanęcin 9, flint was used in two distinct ways. The first involved processing of two varieties of erratic flint on-site, employing diverse methods and techniques, and tool production. This pattern was characteristic of Late Mesolithic and Early Bronze Age communities. The second approach was limited to the transportation of finished artefacts to the site for various purposes, a practice associated with both Early and Late Bronze Age populations as well as modern times societies.