SESSION 8 - Gemology - obsidian and quartz gemstones
Knapping metamorphic dolomite to make bracelets: methods and techniques of knapping in the bracelets quarry of Cortijo Cevico (Loja, Granada)

Stone bracelets are one of the most outstanding elements of personal ornamentation of the ancient Neolithic in the south of the Iberian Peninsula (5500-4500 Cal. BCE). They are considered an element of cultural identity and a chronological marker. The study of the production processes of this ornament has brought a new approach to the social relations of the early Neolithic groups of this area.   

The objective of this study is to present the methods and techniques of knapping carried out in the Cortijo Cevico Neolithic bracelet quarry. This quarry was recently discovered and excavated, and is the first site of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a rocky outcrop in the Trias de Antequera geologic formation, comprised of metamorphic dolomites. At the site extraction and the first transformation by knapping preforms were carried out, with further processing of bracelets taking place in settlements.