Programs

Lithic Department

SRI offers lithic analysis services to clients interested in ancient stone tool technology. The by-products of stone tool manufacturing are some of the most ubiquitous remains in the archaeological record. As such, they represent a complicated process involving the acquisition of raw materials, tool production and use, and the subsequent discard of expended tools. Such artifacts therefore offer a direct link into how people coped with the uncertainties of living in a variety of ancient environments.

The SRI Lithic Department is equipped with a variety of tools to meet the varying requirements of artifact analysis. This includes digital instruments that are linked to a company-wide database management system (known as SRID). The attribute analysis format provides both consistency and flexibility to the project analysts, with the results directly linked to the archaeological geospatial data. This allows SRI analysts the opportunity to compare and contrast regional lithic data sets.

The Lithic Department is directed by Dr. Bradley Vierra, who has wide-ranging experience in lithic artifact analysis in both the New and Old Worlds. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, Washington, northern Mexico, France, and Portugal.