Graduation Term
Summer 2025
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of Sociology and Anthropology: Archaeology
Committee Chair
Logan Miller
Committee Member
Abigail Chipps Stone
Abstract
Groundstone axes, or celts, were prehistoric stone tools used for chopping, cutting, or woodworking. Made from hard stone like basalt or granite, it was shaped by grinding and polishing rather than flaking, giving it a smooth, durable surface. Celts typically have a tapered edge and were often hafted onto wooden handles or used by hand. They were common in Neolithic cultures around the world and served both practical and sometimes ceremonial purposes. In this thesis, I analyze celts from Noble-Wieting (11ML24), a 14th-century Langford tradition village in McLean County, Illinois.
Specifically, my research addresses the following questions about these groundstone celts. Can the ground stone celts found at Noble-Wieting be associated with known geological sources using pXRF? Are the Noble-Wieting celts manufactured from the same sources as those in Greater Cahokia? Is there a difference in source material between celts found in wall trenches and those recovered from other features at Noble-Wieting? Attempting to answer these questions, brings a multiscalar perspective into this under-researched topic. The pXRF measures the elemental composition of stone and rock. Different stones from different places have different elemental signatures. I will use the pXRF data gathered with comparable data from geologic samples tested, to see if any of the Noble-Wieting artifacts conform to any known sources. This is important because there is no previous research regarding the source location of the materials used in the ground stone celts found at Noble-Wieting.
The data showed that there was a correlation between the ground stone celts found at Noble-Wieting with some of the other local samples and samples taken from the St. Francois Mountains in Missouri. There was, however, a wide range within the samples from Noble-Wieting. This could mean that that the people of Noble-Wieting were getting their materials from other unsampled locations.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Marvel, Julian A., "The Elemental Analysis of Groundstone Celts from Noble-Wieting Using the pXRF: A Provenance Study" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 2151.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2151
DOI
https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD.1763755359.048554