A use-wear analysis of the Late Glacial Microblade
assemblage from Hokkaido, Northern Japan: A casestudy based on the Yoshiizawa site
IWASE Akira,1 SATO Hiroyuki,2
YAMADA Satoru,3 & NATSUKI Daigo4
ABSTRACT

Topics currently debated in the Upper Palaeolithic (UP) research on Hokkaido, northern Japan,
include how to explain behavioral and natural processes that form and affect variability inlithic technologies and stone tool assemblages. The study of stone tool functionality helps inunderstanding the meaning of variability in stone toolkits. We performed a use-wear analysis
on a late Microblade assemblage from the Yoshiizawa site, northeastern Hokkaido. Of 22,265
specimens, we selected 160 samples from two lithic concentrations (BL2A and BL2B) that mainlycomprise formal tools; microblades, a stemmed point, bifaces, end scrapers, burins, burin spalls,
side scrapers, drills, blades, and an edge-ground axe. The main ﬁndings revealed that: tracesfrom working on hides can be observed on the distal and lateral edges of end scrapers; thefacet edges of burins and burin spalls show traces resulting from antler, bone, ivory, and hideprocessing; blades were used for sawing or cutting hides. Similar results, in terms of patterns offunctional relationship, have been observed on toolkits from other concentrations in Yoshiizawa,
namely the BL1 and BL3. The results indicate that each stone tool was roughly correlated witha small number of speciﬁc functions, rather than serving as a multifunctional tool. UP foragers
may have honed lithic technologies towards the production of relatively specialised tools toadapt to the Late Glacial environments of the Palaeo-Sakhalin/Hokkaido/Kurile Peninsula.
KEYWORDS: Late Glacial, Hokkaido, use-wear analysis, Microblade assemblage, Oshorokkotype microblade core

1 c/o Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1–1 Minami-Osawa,

Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192–0397, Japan (yiu51057@nifty.com, iwase_a@tmu.ac.jp)
2 Department of Archaeology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo,
7–3–1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan (hsato@l.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
3 Tokoro Buried Cultural Property Center and Museum, Kitami City Board of Education, 376 Sakaeura,
Tokoro-cho, Kitami-shi, Hokkaido 093–0216, Japan (satoru.yamada@city.kitami.lg.jp)
4 Tokoro Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo,
376 Sakaeura, Tokoro-Cho, Kitami-shi, Hokkaido, 093–0216, Japan (franponais2000@yahoo.co.jp)
Category: Original Article Received: 10 May 2016; Accepted: 2 August 2016
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 4 (2016): 3–28

IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

1.

Introduction

Over the last ﬁfty years, numerous archaeological investigations have found morethan seven hundred Upper Palaeolithic (UP) sites on the northernmost Japanese islandof Hokkaido (Japanese Palaeolithic Research Association 2010). Recent researches
based on geochronological and technotypological analyses indicate that the Hokkaido
UP assemblages seem to be divided into four groups: Small Flake, Flake, Blade, andMicroblade assemblages. Further, it seems that the technological transitions between
these assemblages may have roughly corresponded with changes in ﬂora, fauna, andlandscapes during the Marine Isotope Stages (MISs) 3 and 2 (e.g., Izuho 2013; Izuho
et al. 2012; Izuho & Sato 2008; Izuho & Takahashi 2005; Sato 2003; Yamada 2006).
During the late MIS3, Small Flake assemblages probably dated to 30,000 14C BP(hereafter, dates are given in uncalibrated 14C BP except for some cases) seem to haveemerged in deciduous broadleaf forests, accompanied with a faunal group, the Palaeo
loxodon-Sinomegaceroides complex, that comprised warm-adapted animals including
Naumann’s elephant and Yabe’s giant deer. Later, during the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM: 26.5–19 ka), early Microblade, Blade, and Flake assemblages, all dated between
22,000 and 20,000 14C BP, may have appeared on the sub-arctic taiga in coincidencewith patchy grasslands and/or high moors, where the land mammals of Mammoth Fauna
including woolly mammoth and steppe bison are also known to have lived. After the
LGM, various late Microblade assemblages seem to have emerged coincidently with theﬂuctuation between coniferous forests and open-forest taiga with grasslands during theLate Glacial (LG), where large-sized mammals of Mammoth Fauna are considered tohave gradually disappeared.
Among the assemblages discussed here, the early and late Microblade assemblages
show a high standardisation of stone tools, including microblades, burins, end scrapers,
and side scrapers. Indeed, differences between the two Microblade assemblages can beseen in the presence of newly invented tools, such as bifacial-stemmed points and edgeground stone axes, found only from the late Microblade. In addition, the inter- and intrasite variability in stone toolkits became more remarkable in the latter assemblages (Kato
1970; Nakazawa et al. 2005; Yamada 2006), which may indicate the occurrence of taskspeciﬁc occupations and an increase in logistical mobility (Yamada 2006). Technologicalresponses to this change in the direction towards more specialised tools that were
designed to undertake a limited range of functions are also postulated to have occurred(e.g. Bousman 1993; Odell 1994; Shott 1986; Torrence 1983, 1989).
Researches on the Hokkaido UP have long focused primarily on chronological studies
based on typological features of lithic assemblages. However, although these conventional© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

studies have a meaningful role to play in building our understanding of culturalsequences, additional work is now required to explore how behavioral and naturalprocesses formed and affected the composition and variation of stone tool assemblages(e.g. Izuho et al. 2012; Nakazawa et al. 2005, 2009; Sato 1992; Yamada 2006). In relation
to these issues, studies of stone tool functionality will provide further clues to enable us
to understand the meanings inherent in the variability of stone toolkits. Thus, as a casestudy, we report on a use-wear analysis in this paper that examined the functions of stone
tools in a late Microblade assemblage from the Yoshiizawa site, northeastern Hokkaido(Sato & Yamada 2014). Our study builds on previous works in which we have presented
results of analyses on two lithic concentrations from this site (Iwase 2014; Iwase et al.
2016). With this in mind, the present study focuses especially on other concentrations toreveal the similarities and/or differences in stone tool usages.

2.

Late Glacial Hokkaido: Geography, ﬂora, and faunaJapan is comprised of a long chain of islands situated between 45°N and 24°N along thenorthwestern Paciﬁc Rim. The biggest of these islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku,
Kyushu, and Ryukyu; with the Sea of Japan to the west, this archipelago stretches
parallel to the main Asian continent. Hokkaido is located in the northernmost part of thearchipelago, lying between 41°24′–45°30′N and 139°20′–145°48′E (Figure 1).
As a result of global glacioeustatic sea level drop, Hokkaido seems to have beenconnected with Sakhalin and the main Asian continent around the mouth of the Amur
River during the late Late Pleistocene (late MIS3 and MIS2, roughly 50,000–10,000 BP)(Ono 1990). This geographical district is called Palaeo-Sakhalin/Hokkaido/Kurile (SHK)
Peninsula (Sato 2003). In addition, Palaeo-Honshu Island was formed by a combinationof Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu (Ota & Yonekura 1987). However, a land bridge may
not have emerged in the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu during the late
Late Pleistocene (Ono 1990).
Although the LGM vegetation of the southern Palaeo-SHK Peninsula, Hokkaido,
has been reconstructed in detail based on several pollen and plant macro fossil records(Igarashi 1996; Igarashi et al. 1993, 2002; Ishii et al. 1981; Sakaguchi 1989; Suzuki etal. 1999), the LG ﬂora is not fully revealed (Igarashi 1990; Igarashi et al. 1993). The
LGM vegetation seems to have consisted of four types of taiga from north-to-south, as
follows; (1) Open larch-pine taiga; (2) Open larch-pine-spruce taiga; (3) Open larch-pinespruce-ﬁr taiga; and (4) Open spruce-larch-ﬁr-oak taiga (Igarashi 2008; Izuho 2013). In
each group, the prevalence of non-arboreal taxa with a composition that resembled thoseof Siberia implies that the mammoth-steppe may have expanded onto this peninsula.
Indeed, after the LGM, grasslands gradually started to decrease as coniferous forests© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

Figure 1.

Map of Hokkaido and the Yoshiizawa site (after Izuho et al. 2012)

including Quercus and Fagus spread. However, pollen records around the YD cold
reversal that are dated to 12,900–11,600 Cal BP (11,000–10,000 BP), suggest that open
taiga comprising larch, pine, spruce, and ﬁr coexisting with grasslands expanded again
on the Palaeo-SHK Peninsula (e.g., Igarashi 2008; Izuho 2008; Kawamura & Kito 2000;
Takiya & Hagiwara 1997). This means that the LG vegetation seems to have ﬂuctuatedremarkably between coniferous forests and open-forest taiga with grasslands.
The southern Palaeo-SHK Peninsula, Hokkaido, has so far yielded just a few fossils offaunal remains including Naumann’s elephant, Yabe’s giant deer, woolly mammoth, andsteppe bison. However, not all of these remains have been recovered from archaeologicalsites. The former two species were directly dated between 49,000 and 30,000 14C
BP, while the latter two between 45,000 and 18,000 14C BP (Iwase et al., 2012, 2015;
Takahashi 2007; Takahashi & Izuho, 2012). This means that Hokkaido actually lacks
sufﬁcient records to reconstruct the LG fauna. Mammoths and bison may have gone
extinct or migrated to the northwards after the LGM, when the climate started toameliorate and the open-forest taiga with grassy plains began to gradually decrease on
Hokkaido (Igarashi 1993; Igarashi & Kumano 1981; Igarashi et al. 1993; Iwase et al.,© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

2012, 2015; Takahashi 2007). This certainly implies the possibility that the LG terrestrial
mammals may also show the transition into the Holocene faunal groups, probably
comprising mainly medium to small-sized animals (Yamada 2006).

3.

Materials and methods

(1)

Site

The Yoshiizawa site is an open-air site located in the Kitami Basin, northeastern
Hokkaido (N43°47′, E143°41′) (Koaze et al. 2003). The site is situated on the southernterrace of the Muka River, a branch of the largest river, the Tokoro, in this region, andis at an altitude of ca. 170 m a.s.l. (Figure 1). At this site, the artefact-bearing layer was
located in the upper part of an aeolian loam, 0.2–0.4 metres below the surface (Sato& Yamada 2014). Palaeolithic artefacts were recovered from several block excavations.
From a total of 22,265 lithic specimens, 21,598 artifacts were found in three-to-four
lithic concentrations, 15–20 metres distant from each other, named BL1, BL2A, BL2B,
and BL3 (Figure 2; Table 1). Excavations of all concentrations, excluding the BL2B,
are almost completed (Sato & Yamada 2014). Although a preliminary analysis revealed

Figure 2.

Distribution of lithic concentrations from Yoshiizawa (after Sato and Yamada 2014)© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

Table 1.

Lithics from the late Microblade assemblage of Yoshiizawa
MB

BL1

54

BL2A

12

BL2B

7

BL3

140

Out-of-LC
Total

MB
PF
ST
BifaceCore Spall Point
2
1
7

2
215

1

1

27

ES BU

BU
Spall

6

130 12

40

32

2 113

8363

1

2

31

7

26

4

3

87

3687

2

1

11

3

21

1

17

1070

6

48 30

182

2

2

6

222 54

275

1
8

31

1

15

BU-ES SS DR BL FL/CH

2

2

6

7

72

7180

1

1

16

607

44 13 305 20907

BL/FL
Axe Ochre
Core

Others

Total

46

8802

8

3873

7

11

1149

26

40

7774

1
1

1
1
4

2

34

28

667

133

22265

MB, microblade; PF, platform; ST, stemmed; ES, end scraper; BU, burin; SS, side scraper; DR, drill; BL, blade; FL, ﬂake; CH, chipthat there are only a few reﬁtted specimens that connect all four concentrations, formalstone tools including microblades, microblade cores, burins, and end scrapers fromeach concentration show similar technotypological features, and indicate that the site
represents a single component of a Microblade assemblage (Sato & Yamada 2014). In
particular, microblade cores exhibit the reduction method seen in the Oshorokko-type,one of the typical microblade cores from late Microblade assemblages that involves
preparing relatively small bifaces as blanks and forming platforms by the removalof short spalls (Nakazawa et al. 2005). In Yoshiizawa, two charcoal samples gaveradiocarbon dates of 17,460±70 14C BP (TKa-14438) and 15,040±60 14C BP (TKa-14440)(Kunikita et al. 2014), although their relationship to the lithic concentrations remains
unclear. Another Oshorokko-type microblade assemblage from the Ozora site, in eastern
Hokkaido, was found in an aeolian loam below the Tarumae-D tephra (Ta-d, 7,000 14C
BP) and above the Eniwa-a tephra (En-a, 17,000 14C BP) (Izuho et al. 2012; Izuho &Akai 2005), which indicates that this type of Microblade assemblage may have emerged
after the LGM, possibly during the LG period (Yamada 2006).
The lithic assemblages from Yoshiizawa comprise microblades, Oshorokko-type
microblade cores, platform spalls, a bifacial-stemmed point, bifaces, edge-ground axes,
end scrapers, side scrapers, burins, burin spalls, burin-end scrapers, drills, blades, ﬂakes,
blade cores, and ﬂake cores (Figure 3). In addition, other material includes pebble tools
and non-utilitarian artefacts (ochre) (Table 1). Lithic raw materials mainly consist of
obsidian, followed by small amounts of ‘hard-shale’ (a type of sedimentary rock similar
to ﬂint and chert), andesite, tuff, and sandstone (Table 2). Primary reduction includes the
production of blades and microblades, and bifacial thinning. Continuous lateral retouchesof side scrapers, end scraper edging on the distal ends of blades, and burin faceting weresecondary reduction strategies.
As discussed by Yamada (2014, pp. 283–285), four lithic concentrations from
Yoshiizawa show the variability in the composition of lithic assemblages (Table 2).
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

Figure 3. Stone tools of the late Microblade assemblage from Yoshiizawa (after Sato and Yamada2014). 1–4, microblades; 5, reﬁtted specimens including Oshorokko-type microblade core andplatform spall; 6–7, end scrapers; 8–9, burins; 10, drill; 11, 14, side scrapers; 12, stemmed point; 13,edge-ground axe; 15–17, blades© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

Table 2.

Lithic raw materials from Yoshiizawa
Obsidian

Hard-Shale

Andesite

Tuff

Sandstone

Others

Total

BL1

8691

73

28

2

3

5

8802

BL2A

3499

367

2

5

BL2B

1072

59

5

5

8

1149

BL3

7476

242

17

13

26

7774

Total

20738

741

52

25

39

21598

3873

3

Of these, the BL1 and BL3, for example, are mainly composed of chips smaller than
2 cm, probably produced by retouches on formal tools, bifacial thinning, and blade core
preparations. In addition, at the BL2A, there is a relatively higher frequency of ﬂakes(>2 cm) and blades than at the BL1 and BL3, implying ﬂake and blade production fromﬂake and blade cores and bifaces in the earlier stages of their reduction. Furthermore,each lithic concentration shows a remarkable variability in stone toolkits (Table 2); forinstance, BL1 incorporates a higher frequency of end scrapers and side scrapers, whileedge-ground axes and a bifacial-stemmed point are found only at BL2A. In contrast, theBL3 concentration has the highest frequency of microblades, microblade cores, platform
spalls, burins, and burin spalls.

(2)

Materials

Of a total of 21,598 artefacts from four lithic concentrations, Iwase (2014) and Iwase etal. (2016) analysed 454 specimens recovered from the BL1 and BL3 concentrations. In
this paper, we focus especially on the artefacts from BL2A and BL2B (Table 1). Out of5022 artefacts from these two concentrations, almost all, excluding the debitage (ﬂakes
and chips), pebble tools, and non-utilitarian artefacts, were scanned and a total of 160
specimens were sampled for use-wear analysis. Accordingly, the specimens were notselected at random, as the focus of this analysis is mainly directed towards formal tools.
The selected specimens include microblades (N=18), a platform spall (N=1), a stemmed
point (N=1), bifaces (N=2), end scrapers (N=35), burins (N=7), burin spalls (N=43), side
scrapers (N=3), drills (N=2), blades (N=25), ﬂakes (N=19), an edge-ground axe (N=1),
and other informal retouched tools (N=3) (Table 3). These artefacts account for just 3.2%
(N=160/5022) of the total number from BL2A and BL2B, but 60.4% (N=160/265) of all
formal artefacts excluding ﬂakes and chips.
The raw material of specimens for analysis mainly comprises obsidian (86.3%,
N=138), followed by small amounts of high quality hard-shale (13.1%, N=21) and tuff
(0.6%, N=1). The surfaces of lithic artefacts from Yoshiizawa are generally in good
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

Table 3.

Lithics selected for use-wear analysis from the BL2A and BL2B
MB

BL2A

Recovered
Analyzed
Use-wear
%

12
11

BL2B

Recovered
Analyzed
Use-wear
%

7
7

Total

Recovered
Analyzed
Use-wear
%

19
18

MB
Core

PFS
pall

ST
Point

Biface

ES

BU

BU
Spall

1

1
1

1
1

2
2

0.0

0.0

0.0

31
25
12
48.0

7
5
4
80.0

11
10
1
10.0
42
35
13
37.1

0.0

1

0.0

0.0

0.0
1

1
1

1
1

3
2

0.0

0.0

0.0

SS

DR

BL

FL/CH

26
25
4
16.0

4
2

3
2

3687
16

0.0

0.0

87
24
2
8.3

3
2
2
100

21
18
1
5.6

1
1

17
1

1070
3

10
7
6
85.7

47
43
5
11.6

5
3

3
2

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0
104
25
2
8.0

BL/FL
Core

Axe

Others

Total

1
1

8
1

3873
116
22
19.0

2

0.0

0.0

0.0
4757
19

0.0
18
2
0.0

2

0.0

1
1

26
3

0.0

0.0

1149
44
4
9.1
5022
160
26
16.3

MB, microblade; PF, platform; ST, stemmed; ES, end scraper; BU, burin; SS, side scraper; DR, drill; BL, blade; FL, ﬂake; CH, chip
Others includes: infromal tetouched tools, pebble tools, ochre, pebble

condition and thus allow for the observation of traces, with some exceptions.

(3)

Methods

1)

Macroscopic fractures

Numerous experimental studies with the projectile stone tools have revealed distinct
patterns of impact damage (e.g., Barton & Bergman 1982; Bergman & Newcomer 1983;
Fischer et al. 1984; Midoshima 1991, 1996; Moss & Newcomer 1982; Odell & Cowan
1986; Sano 2009; Sano & Oba 2015). Experiments have mainly focused on the bifacial
and backed points mounted on the tips of spears, darts, and arrows. In particular,
experimental analyses on projectile impacts and accidental fractures from blade
productions, retouches, and trampling (Fischer et al. 1984; Sano 2009) have revealed thatﬂute-like, burin-like, bifacial spin-off, and unifacial spin-off fractures longer than 6 mmcannot be produced by accidental causes other than uses as projectile tips.
In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to the fracture patterns occurringon microblades, the small lithic elements which are generally considered as insertions
into osseous implements as lateral blades. Recently, Yaroshevich et al. (2010) and
Pétillon et al. (2011) presented results of pilot experiments with rectanglar microliths andbacked bladelets attached as lateral blades into composite hunting weapons. Their results
indicated that several types of impact damage occurred on microliths and bladelets;(1) Bending fractures on the sharp lateral edge; (2) Bending fractures that obliquelyremove the tip at a blunt angle; (3) Step-terminating bending fractures on the tip, (4)Spin-off fractures that include burin-like impacts, and; (5) Tip-crushing with spin-off
fractures. Because all the above impact fractures are very small ranging from 1 mm to
4 mm, further studies are required to reveal their diagnostic patterns on microblades.
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

Nevertheless, the experimental fractures (1)–(5) that are observed on small lithic
elements can be used as clues to explore the use of microblades as projectile inserts.
In this study, following these experimental studies (e.g., Fischer et al. 1984; Pétillon etal. 2011; Sano 2009; Yaroshevich et al. 2010), a stemmed point, bifaces, and microblades
were observed using the naked eye, a loupe, and a microscope (at magniﬁcations up to
50x).

2)

Microscopic traces

Present-day microscopic use-wear analysts agree that functional analysis of stone tools
must be based on a systematic framework of use-wear experiments. A large numberof experiments repeatedly indicated that the distribution, direction, and morphology of
microchipping, striation, rounding, and micropolish (use-wear polish) can contributeto the interpretation of use-motion and worked material (e.g., Iwase 2015; Kajiwara &Akoshima 1981; Keeley 1980; Midoshima 1986, 1988; Moss 1983; Odell 1981; Sano 2012;
Tringham et al. 1974; Vaughan 1985a; van Gijn 1990).
On the basis of previous studies, microwear analysis can be divided into two different
approaches: ‘low power’ and ‘high power.’ Of these, the low power approach employs
low magniﬁcations up to 100x and is especially focused on the analysis of microchipping
to determine the relative hardness of worked materials and their motions of usage(Akoshima 1981; Midoshima 1982; Odell 1981; Odell & Odell-Vereecken 1980; Tringham
et al. 1974). In contrast, the high power approach is characterised by the analysis of
micropolishes that can be observed at high magniﬁcations over 100x, and that canbe used to indicates relationships between polish morphologies and speciﬁc worked
materials. And it is now accepted that the association is moderate with some overlap
rather than a one-to-one correlation (e.g., Kajiwara & Akoshima 1981; Keeley 1980;
Midoshima 1986, 1988; Moss 1983; Sano 2012; Vaughan 1985a; van Gijn 1990). Since
the integration of two methods (Vaughan 1985a), current microwear studies generally use
both approaches to precisely interpret the functions of stone tools.
In this study, microscopic use-wear analysis involved both low power and highpower approaches. To observe microwear on lithic surfaces, a metallurgical microscope(Olympus BX-FMS) was used at magniﬁcations ranging from 50x to 500x, and a digital
camera (Olympus DP-21) was used for recording all data. In addition, this study follows
the previous studies by Kajiwara & Akoshima (1981), Midoshima (1986), and Iwase(2015) as the references for the identiﬁcation and classiﬁcation of use-wear polishes
on obsidian and hard-shale artefacts. Similar to the ﬂint experiments, various contact
materials, including grass, wood, antler, bone, ivory, dry-hide, fresh-hide, ﬂesh, shell,and stone can form distinctive polished appearances, which can also partially overlap
with each other, on obsidian and hard-shale.
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

3)

Independent Use Zone

In this study, we count each portion of an artefact that bears a use-wear trace as an‘independent use zone’ (IUZ: Vaughan 1985a, 1985b). Indeed, according to Vaughan, an
IUZ is an edge or ridge that has been used to perform a certain task or function, andcan be deﬁned based on a use action, a contact angle of working edge, and a worked
material, all of which can be inferred from the use-related traces on a stone tool. For
example, if the same portion of a tool has been used for two tasks with different actions,contact angles, or worked materials, then two IUZs can be distinguished. The concept ofan IUZ can thus provide a clue to clearly demonstrate relationships between tool types,
working edges, use motions, and worked materials.

4. Results
Macro- and microscopic analyses reveal that a total of 26 specimens show use-related
traces, while the rest of the samples exhibit no traces or unclear traces. Lithics bearing
deﬁnite use-related traces comprise end scrapers (N=13), burins (N=6), burin spalls(N=5), and blades (N=2) (Tables 3, 4). The use-wear traces were observed on 16.3%
of total sample. Out of a total of 26 specimens, working edges and use motions can be
estimated from 31 used zones, and worked materials from 12 zones (Tables 5, 6, 7). The
main ﬁndings from this analysis in terms of each stone tool class are discussed below.

(1)

Microblades(2)

End scrapers

Macro- and microscopic analyses reveal that 18 selected microblades overall show noclear use-related traces. However, one microblade has distinctive striations running
perpendicularly to its long axis on the midsection of its ventral surface (Figure 4: 1,
Photo a). These striations reach from one side to the other, seemingly suggesting thatthey may have been the result of perpendicular activities, including scraping, whittling,
and planing. Yet, the width of the specimen is so narrow (less than 3 mm) that it seems
difﬁcult to manipulate by hand. If the microblade had been inserted into an osseous
shaft and used for transverse motions, then striations should be limited to the edge, notspread out onto the other side of edge. This implies that the striations may not have been
directly produced by use, but rather by non-utilitarian causes.

From a sample of 35 end scrapers, 13 specimens display clear traces (Table 3). A total of
15 zones can be detected for the estimation of working edges and motions used (Tables
5, 6), and four zones can be seen for worked materials (Table 7). The distal end of anend scraper bears well-developed traces that exhibit a dull, pitted, and matt appearance© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

Table 4.

List of lithics bearing the use-wear traces

Fig.

LC

ID

Raw
Material

Edge
Angle (°)

Working Edge

Use
MotionEnd scraper Obsidian

52.5
55.3
78.5

Lateral edge (left)
Lateral edge (right)
End scraper edge

C/S
C/S
SC/WH

Hide
Hide

c

Obsidian

72.8
82.4

Burin facet edge
SC/WH
Platform of burin spall SC/WH

Hide
Hide

e
f

Tool

4 09930

2A

6 09931

2A

10208

2A

End scraper Obsidian

84.7

End scraper edge

SC/WH

11120

2A

End scraper Obsidian

78.3

End scraper edge

SC/WH

11410

2A

10 12304

2A

Burin

Blade

WorkedPhotoMaterial

Obsidian

42.9

Lateral edge

C/S

Hide

l

Burin spall Hard-shale

103.2

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

ABI

i
j

13531

2A

Obsidian

65.4

Lateral edge

C/S

11 14033

2A

Burin spall Hard-shale

Blade

103.7

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

ABI

5 14155

2A

End scraper Obsidian

8 15483

2A

3 16751
2 17529

Remarks
Butchering
Butchering

Butchering

63.0

Lateral edge

C/S

Hide

d

Butchering

Obsidian

107.0

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

HM

g

Ochre?

2A

End scraper Obsidian

82.2

End scraper edge

SC/WH

Hide

b

2A

End scraper Obsidian

77.8

End scraper edge

SC/WH

Hide

17554

2A

End scraper Obsidian

52.6

End scraper edge

C/S

18843

2A

End scraper Obsidian

83.7

End scraper edge

SC/WH

Burin

20552

2A

End scraper Obsidian

65.4

Lateral edge

C/S

20876

2A

End scraper Obsidian

83.0

End scraper edge

SC/WH

21416

2A

End scraper Obsidian

42.8

Lateral edge

C/S

21768

2A

Burin

Obsidian

73.1

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

1 239232A

Microblade

Obsidian

7 24122

2A

Burin

Obsidian

Lateral edge
68.3
60.3

Burin facet edge
Burin facet edge

a
SC/WH
C/S

Platform of burin spall SC/WH

24161

2A

Burin spall

Obsidian

151.7

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

12 242042A

Burin spall

Obsidian

65.6

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

S01053 2A

End scraper Obsidian

93.4

End scraper edge

SC/WH

21433

2B

End scraper Obsidian

59.9

End scraper edge

SC/WH

9 23457

2B

Burin

Hard-shale

121.7

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

23465

2B

Burin spall

Obsidian

85.9

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

24349

2B

Burin

Obsidian

55.0

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

C/S, cutting or sawing; SC/WH, scraping or whittling
ABI, antler, bone, ivory; HM, hard material© Japanese Archaeological Association

14

Hide

k

Hide

h

Hafting trace?

USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

Table 5.

Working edges of stone tools from the BL2A and BL2B
End scraperedge

End scraper

Burin facet
edge

Plat form ofburin facet

10

Burin

7

Burin spall

5

Table 6.

10

Total

5

15

2

9
5

Blade
Total

Lateral
edge

12

2

2

2

7

31

Use motions of stone tools from the BL2A and BL2B
C/S

SC/WH

Total

End scraper

6

9

15

Burin

1

8

9

5

5

Burin spall
Blade

2

Total

9

2
22

31

C/S, cutting or sawing; SC/WH, scraping or whittling

Table 7.

Worked materials of stone tools from the BL2A and BL2B
ABIHM

End scraper
Burin
Burin spall

1
2

Blade
Total

2

1

Hide

Total

4

4

3

4

1

3

1

1

9

12

ABI, antler, bone, ivory; HM, hard material

accompanied with distinctive edge-rounding and perpendicular striations (Figures 4: 3,
Photo b). The features of these traces suggest that the scraper edge was used for scraping
dry hides. In addition, the lateral edges of end scrapers show two types of polish; a dull,
pitted, and matt surface (Figure 4: 5, Photo d), and a bright, smooth, but relatively pitted
surface (Figure 4: 4, Photo c), all of which are accompanied with parallel striations.
The appearance of the polished surface and striations suggests that lateral edges were
utilised for sawing or cutting dry and relatively fresh hides. Depending on the relative© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

Figure 4. Stone tools bearing the use-wear traces (after Sato and Yamada 2014). 1, microblade;
2–5, end scrapers; 6–9, burins; 10–12, burin spalls

amount of bone, fresh, skin, and hair contacts, experiments involving butchering
activities sometimes produce use-wear traces that partially resemble the dry and fresh
hide polishes (Iwase 2014). Thus, the microwear on the lateral edges of end scrapers
may imply the butchering activity and/or relevant tasks such as skinning, deﬂeshing, anddehairing.
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

Figure 5. Use-wear traces observed on a microblade, end scrapers, and burins. Photo a shows
numerous perpendicular striations. Photo b shows polishes from dry hide working. Photos c, d, e,
and f show polishes from processing relatively fresh hides

In addition, striations on the lateral edges were frequently cut off by the retouches
on the distal ends of end scrapers (Figure 4: 4, 5). This indicates the possibility that thelateral edges of blades or side scrapers were initially employed for longitudinal activities,
and were then modiﬁed into end scrapers.

(3)

BurinsOut of seven selected burins, six specimens possess deﬁnite signs of having beenused (Table 3). A total of nine zones provide clear evidence that allows the estimationof working edges and motions of use (Tables 5, 6), as well as four zones that allow
determination of worked materials (Table 7). Of these, use-related traces are mainly
located on burin facet edges, and striations are perpendicularly or obliquely running to
the working edges (Figure 4: 6–9). This means that facet edges were chieﬂy used for thetransverse motions including scraping and whittling (Tables 5, 6). On the other hand, afacet edge that shows parallel striations to the working edge (Figure 4: 7) is suggestiveof occasional use of sawing or cutting activities. Furthermore, burin facet edges show
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

three types of use-wear; (1) Polishes exhibiting a matt, pitted, and bumpy appearance
spreading over the concave areas (Photos h); (2) Polishes having a relatively bright andsmooth-greasy surface (Photo e), and; (3) Distinctive edge abrasion accompanied witha large amount of microchipping (Photo g). These morphological features of microwear
suggest that dry hide working led to the ﬁrst type of traces, while the second was
produced by processing fresh hides. The third traces demonstrating the remarkable edge
damage imply that this facet edge contacted relatively hard materials. Of particularinterest is the fact that red adhesive materials can be observed into the concave areas of
microchipping, implying that this edge may have been used for processing with ochre.
In addition to traces on the burin facet edges, two zones of spall platforms also bearuse-related traces. The striations are perpendicularly or obliquely running to the working
edges (Figure 4: 6, 7), suggesting that they were used for scraping or whittling activities(Tables 5, 6). The ridge of the microscar shows a polished surface with a bright, smooth,but relatively pitted appearance (Photo f). This polish type and striations demonstratethat truncated platforms for spall removal were also used for the transversal motion of
fresh hides.

(4)

Burin spalls

Out of 43 selected burin spalls, only ﬁve samples exhibit clear microscopic traces. A
total of ﬁve zones provide evidence for the estimation of working edges and motions
used (Tables 5, 6), while three zones allow the determination of worked materials (Table7). In all cases, use-wear traces are exclusively located on previous burin facet edges
on dorsal surfaces (Table 5). This means that burin spalls were detached from burins
in order to rejuvenate the worn facet edges. Similar to burins, perpendicular or obliquestriations are running on the working edges (Figure 4: 10–12), suggesting the scraping or
whittling activity (Table 6). Burin spalls yield clear evidence of antler, bone, ivory (ABI),
and hide processing; a bright, smooth, and ﬂat appearance with a sharp contrast to theunaltered surface that expands mainly on microtopographically higher points of the edge
(Photos i, j), as well as a bright, smooth, but relatively pitted surface (Photo k).
Of particular interest is that the hide polishes were from facet edges of both obsidianand hard-shale burins and burin spalls (Figure 4: 6, 9, 12); on the contrary, deﬁnite ABI
polishes were exclusively observed on the hard-shale samples (Figure 4: 10, 11; Table 4).
This implies that obsidian burins may have been used primarily for hide working; whileon the other hand, hard-shale burins seem to have served a function mainly for scraping
or whittling ABI materials. The transverse motions such as scraping, whittling, shaving,and planing generally undertook the artisanal and craft activities to shape worked
materials into the speciﬁc forms (e.g., Yamada 2008; Iwase 2011, 2012). Thus, tracesfrom scraping or whittling the ABI materials mean that hard-shale burins seem to have
© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

Figure 6. Use-wear traces observed on burins, burin spalls, and a blade. Photo g shows thedistinctive edge abrasion with a large number of microchipping. Photos h and k show polishes fromhide working. Photos i and j show polishes from processing antler, bone, or ivory accompanied withperpendicular striations. Photo l shows polishes from processing relatively fresh hides

been used for shaping osseous implements such as the microblade-slotted shafts.

(5)

BladesFrom 25 samples, two blades show deﬁnite use-wear. Of these, two zones provide
evidences to estimate which edges were working and how they were used (Tables 5, 6),
and a zone indicates what materials were processed (Table 7). The microwear can beobserved on lateral edges, which bear striations running parallel to the working edges(Tables 5, 6), indicating that blades were served as sawing or cutting tools with theirlateral edges. A used zone illuminates distinctive edge rounding accompanied with adull, pitted, and matt polish (Photo l). The features of traces suggest that the lateral edge
was employed for processing hides (Table 7). Similar to the lateral edges of end scrapers,
blades may also have been employed for skinning, deﬂeshing, and/or dehairing activities.

© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo(6)

Other tools

Macro- and microscopic analyses reveal that other tools, including a platform spall of
microblade core, a stemmed point, bifaces, side scrapers, drills, ﬂakes and an edgeground axe, bear no distinctive use-wear traces. These results also suggest that these
implements may have been used for short durations and discarded before the formationof clear traces, or that they may have been rarely utilized. A tuff axe, however, shows theremarkable weathering on all its ridges, and thus we cannot deny that use-related traces
may have disappeared during the depositional and post-depositional processes.

5. Discussions and conclusion
Based on the IUZs of reliable use-wear traces from the BL2A and BL2B concentrations,
Table 8 summarises the relationships between tool types, working edges, use motions,and worked materials. Results show that an end scraper was employed for hidescraping with its scraper edge on distal end (33.3%, 1/3 IUZ), and lateral edges were
for longitudinal motions of hides (66.7%, 2/3 IUZs). Facet edges of burins and burin
spalls seem to have been used for scraping or whittling hides (42.9%, 3/7 IUZs) andhard materials including ABI (42.9%, 3/7 IUZs). Platforms of burin spall removals wereoccasionally also employed for hide processing (14.3%, 1/7 IUZ). One blade (100.0%, 1/1
IUZ) shows traces resulting from cutting or sawing hides on its lateral edge.
Similar patterns in functional relationships were observed on toolkits from the BL1
and BL3 concentrations (Iwase 2014; Iwase et al. 2016) (Tables 9, 10). Indeed, these
Table 8.

Functional correlations of stone tools from the BL2A and BL2B, based on the IUZs
End scraper edge

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

SC/WH

Hide
End scraper

ABI

Hide

SC/WH

C/S

Hide

Hide

1

3

Burin (total)(obsidian)(hard-shale)
Burin spall (total)(obsidian)(hard-shale)

HM

Platform of burin
Lateral edge
spall

1
1
2
2

Blade

2
1
1

1
1

1
1
1

C/S, cutting or sawing; SC/WH, scraping or whittling
ABI, antler, bone, ivory; HM, hard material© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

Table 9.

Functional correlations of stone tools from the BL1, based on the IUZs
End scraper edge

Burin facet edge

SC/WH

SC/WH

Hide
End scraper

ABI

Hide

2

Lateral edge
C/S

C/S

SC/WH

Hide

MM

Hide

4

Burin (total)(obsidian)(hard-shale)

1

Burin spall (total)(hard-shale)

1
1

2
1
1

1

Side scraper

1

Blade

1

1

C/S, cutting or sawing; SC/WH, scraping or whittling
ABI, antler, bone, ivory; MM, medium hard material

Table 10.

Functional correlations of stone tools from the BL3, based on the IUZs
Tip
PR

Microblade
End scraper
Burin (total)(obsidian)(hard-shale)

End scraper edge Burin facet edge Drill bit
SC/WH
Hide

SC/WH
ABI

Hide

Lateral edge

CAR
ABI

C/S
ABI

MM

3

1

1
4
2
1
1

Burin spall (total)(obsidian)(hard-shale)

21
21

1
1

2
1
1

Burin-end scraper

1

Drill

1

Blade
BifaceHide1
1

PR, projectile; C/S, cutting or sawing; SC/WH, scraping or whittling; CAR, carving
ABI, antler, bone, ivory; MM, medium hard material© Japanese Archaeological Association

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IWASE Akira, SATO Hiroyuki, YAMADA Satoru & NATSUKI Daigo

tables illuminate that end scrapers served as hide processing tools with their distal andlateral edges. The facet edges of burins seem to have performed two functions; primarily
to shape ABI materials and secondly to process hides. In addition, clear ABI polishes
were exclusively observed on hard-shale burins and burin spalls. The edge angles ofburin facets show signiﬁcant differences between obsidian and hard-shale specimens(Iwase et al. 2016). In sum, obsidian burins with relatively sharp facet edges may havebeen primarily used for hide working; on the contrary, hard-shale burins with acute edges
show a strong correlation with ABI materials. It is clear that blades from the BL1 andBL3 were also employed for sawing or cutting hides. Although based on small samples,
it is even more interesting that other tasks or functions, such as hunting activities andcarving ABI materials, were performed by other tools, including microblades, bifaces,and drills (Table 10). In addition, Kanomata (2015) analysed use-wear traces on hardshale burins and burin spalls which were recovered from another Oshorokko-type
microblade assemblage at the Inada 1 site. His analyses also revealed that facet edges
were employed chieﬂy for scraping or whittling ABI materials followed by hide working.
Thus overall, these results indicate that association between tool type and function may
not have been at random; rather, each late Microblade tool roughly correlated with asmall number of speciﬁc functions (Tables 8, 9, 10).
As Torrence (1983: 13) has suggested, high residential mobility should place constraints
upon a forager’s technology by imposing carrying cost for tools. In addition, the constraint
requires a small set of more generalised multifunctional tools that restrict the degree towhich specialisation of tools can take place (e.g. Bousman 1993; Odell 1994; Shott 1986;
Torrence 1983, 1989). Yamada (2006), for example, has proposed that the inter- andintra-site variability of stone toolkits seems to have became more remarkable in the late
Microblade assemblages, based on the results of factor analyses on almost all Microbladesites in Hokkaido. Thus following Yamada’s (2006) suggestion, the occurrence of taskspeciﬁc occupation and increases in logistical mobility can be also postulated for thelate Microblade. To respond technologically to this change, specialised tools designed toperform a limited range of functions would have been required.
During the LG period, environments on the southern Palaeo-SHK Peninsula seemto have been characterised by a remarkable ﬂuctuation between coniferous forests andopen-forest taiga with grasslands where large-sized mammals of Mammoth Fauna may
have gradually disappeared and medium to small-sized animals, including Cervus,
started to ﬂourish (Yamada 2006). To adjust the technological organization to such a
dramatic change in climate, ﬂora, and fauna, UP foragers in the LG Hokkaido seemto have introduced mobility strategies that are characterized by relatively frequent
logistical forays, as shown by the remarkable variability in stone toolkits seen between
four lithic concentrations in Yoshiizawa (Table 2). In addition, the results of this study© Japanese Archaeological Association

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USE-WEAR ANALYSIS OF THE LATE GLACIAL MICROBLADE ASSEMBLAGE FROM HOKKAIDO

imply that foragers honed their lithic technologies towards the production of a diversiﬁed
set of relatively specialised tools (Tables 8, 9, 10). Although the present paper reveals
no distinctive use-wear traces from bifacial-stemmed points and edge-ground axes,
elucidating the functions of these newly invented tools will also provide important
clues to understand technological adaptations to the LG environments on the southern
Palaeo-SHK Peninsula.

Acknowledgements
We would like to express our thanks to Toshiaki Kumaki and Dai Kunikita for theirsupports. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 22820066,24-6142, 15K16874 (A. Iwase), and 21242026 (H. Sato).

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