Specificity of the Volosovo Culture Stone-Processing Technology

The results of a study of the Volosovo culture Maslovo Boloto 4 (3rd millennium BC) summer settlement site, located on the peatbog near the Klyazma river and excavated in 1972-1982 are presented. The monocultural character of the site has provided an opportunity to determine the specificity of the Volosovo culture stone technique as compared with both the synchronous Lyalovo culture and the preceding Neolithic ones. For centuries, on the Maslovo Boloto 4 site there had existed workshops producing chopping tools. The manufacturing process had been based upon nodules of local flint as raw material. The process implied the use of flint retouchers, being completed with wooden intermediate tools. The variety of types is associated with tool specialization. The following shapes are typical for the Volosovo culture: trapezoidal end-scrapers with a sharp blade (with grinding or denticulation); knives made from flat flakes with gentle retouch; drills with caught up working end, often chipped with end-scraper. As drills, arrowheads had often been used. The majority of end-scrapers were used to make boats. Arrow- and spearheads do not differ much from the Neolithic ones, but among them products of fine workmanship are also met. There are products (e.g. "flakes with a button", shaped flints), which might have had ritual significance. Basic differences between the Volosovo culture stone technique and the Neolithic one are related to the working tools and technologies