Radiolarite studies at Krems-Wachtberg (Lower Austria): Northern Alpine versus Carpathian lithic resources

This paper is a contribution to research concerning the origin of high quality radiolarites in an archaeological context. The present case study is focussed on radiolarite finds from the Gravettian site at Krems-Wachtberg in Lower Austria. Radiolarite represents a major raw material group within the assemblage, consisting of over 10,000 lithic artifacts. Comparative samples from radiolarite sources from Austria, Slovakia and western Poland were investigated. Visual, microscopic, mineralogical and petrological/geochemical analysis using XRD and LA-ICP-MS was applied. The combination of these methods allowed differentiation between raw material sources from the Northern Calcareous Alps and the Carpathian Mountains. These results allowed determination of the provenance of 10 radiolarite artifacts from the Krems-Wachtberg site. Due to the importance of radiolarite in lithic assemblages throughout Central Europe and adjacent areas, various approaches concerning the provenance of such artifacts have been undertaken. Research goals mainly focussed on possibilities of a differentiation between source areas on a larger scale, and regionally on the differentiation between single outcrops known for prehistoric raw material procurement activities. Nevertheless, previous studies fell short of expectations, precluding a cogent system for raw material sourcing.