Fire modified rock illuminated: Rediscovering the applications of hearth assemblages in site analyses

Abstract

Limited fire modified rock research has prevented archaeologists from analyzing sites to their full capacity. The level of burning, discoloration and fragmentation of fire modified rock can reflect the artifact’s life stage while assemblage context may indicate function. The four main cooking functions of fire modified rock are distinguished as boiling, steaming, roasting, and baking (Thoms 2008), which all have similar effects on heated stones as they are utilized during the cooking processes. Schiffer’s (1972) artifact life cycle model is reviewed according to its application to cooking stone, after which a use-wear model for fire modified rock is presented. The physical attributes of fire modified rock are proposed to separate the tool into three use-wear levels under Schiffer’s use stage of the consumption life cycle. Then, further explorations in this field of research are proposed, as any advancement in fire modified rock research could enhance our understanding how past humans utilized the landscape.