Selected samples: the nature of silcrete adzes in the formation of Australian stone artefact assemblages

Silcrete flakes and cores are abundant in the surface assemblages from western New South Wales, Australia but retouched tools made from silcrete are much less frequent, especially the heavily retouched forms like flake adzes. The distribution and abundance of these forms together with other silcrete retouched tools is investigated. While heavily retouched forms are present, forms thought to represent the intermediate stages of rejuvenation reduction are largely absent. This absence is used to consider how archaeological sites from the region should be interpreted. It is concluded that sites should not be interpreted as though they represent a material record of activities that occurred only at the place where archaeological sites are identified.