MIDDLE AND UPPER PALAEOLITHIC SURFACE FINDS FROM IŁŻA 3 “KRZEMIENIEC I”

Abstract

In the present paper, we would like to discuss results of a preliminary field research in the vicinity of the chocolate flint outcrops in Iłża, Site 3, “Krzemieniec I” (Kielce Upland, south-eastern Poland), including the discovered lithic finds – debitage products (flakes and blades), cores, and formal tools, such as bifacial knives. We made an attempt to infer the chronology of those lithic specimens which were found during the surface survey or in trenches without preserved stratigraphy. Based on their spatial distribution, as well as typological and technological analysis, we distinguished the oldest traces of occupational activities of prehistoric societies in the vicinity of Iłża related to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. Additionally, we conducted a microscopic analysis of the state of preservation of characteristic lithic artefacts. This showed possibilities of linking specific states of preservation of flint surfaces with a generalised chronology of the Stone Age and Bronze Age.