Source of the prehistoric lithic artefacts and grinding stones of Wadi el Obeiyid: petrographical and geochemical approach

Stone raw materials are valuable indicators of human activity and movements during the Stone Age. By analysing the physical and chemical characteristics of a lithic complex it is possible to reconstruct how the human group interacted with the environment. At the same time, the resources procurement system is a tool for measuring the living-space of an ethnic group and, consequently, of a specic culture. These aspects become particularly interesting if we transfer the analysis onto the diachronic level, studying cultural and economic choices in eri. The system of raw material procurement is one of the most interesting aspects since rocks are xed resources, not affected by seasonal and climate changes as are water, fauna and botanical resources.