New anthropological insights into the use of stonemasons’ percussive stone tools at the site of Malia, Crete based on experiments

• Case study: Malia on Crete, a 2nd millennium BC palatial site with monumental stone architecture. • Experiments replicated dressing hard limestone blocks with percussive stone tools. • Evaluation of different tools’ performance and techniques. • Enlightening anthropological observations regarding gestures, ergonomics and skills. • A new case-specific reference collection for percussive stone tools and use-wear. This paper presents part of the research conducted in the framework of the MCSA LiTechAe project exploring the percussive tools and techniques used for stone dressing in monumental architecture in the 2nd millennium BC Aegean world on the basis of experiments and use-wear analysis. The project primarily seeks to better assess the role of stone and bronze tools; secondly craft specialization, logistics and cultural interactions in the above context. The paper presents one of the case studies undertaken in the project at the site of Malia on Crete, one of the most thoroughly excavated and studied sites. Palatial architecture developed on the site during this period comprises hard limestone elements (blocks, column bases, lintels and thresholds) bearing tool marks. A series of original stone dressing experiments were conducted with stone percussive tools by a craftsman. A maximum of parameters was considered : materials’ properties, morphometrics and context in order to replicate the tools, techniques, products (dressed blocks) and use-wear on both tools and dressed blocks. The same types of limestones used in construction and for tools at the Palace of Malia, identified macroscopically and on the basis of petrographic analysis in collaboration with the Laboratory of Palaeometallurgy and Ancient Metal Studies at NCR Demokritos, were collected from the nearby outcrops and used for the experiments. Non-local harder materials, such as andesite, emery and granite were also used for tools for comparison purposes. The experiments (a) allowed to better understand the impact of the different parameters and evaluate the performance of the tools, (b) demonstrated the role of the craftsman in processing and adjusting to the multitude of involved parameters in order to achieve the desired result, (c) enabled anthropological observations regarding bidexterity, gestures, ergonomics and patterns of skills acquisition, (d) provided a new specific-case reference collection for both percussive stone tools and toolmarks. This reference collection is an essential input to be further exploited for comparisons with results from other experiments and archaeological use-wear analyses conducted within the LiTechAe project. The LiTechAe reference collection can further contribute to the study of percussive tools and activities, and lithic studies more broadly in various contexts.