Exploring the “Microburin Blow”: An Insight into the Variability of the Microburin Blow Method for the Production of Sauveterrian Geometrics in the Site of Mondeval de Sora (N-E, Italy)

This paper examines the microburin blow method and its impact on geometric microliths production during the Early Mesolithic. Through experimentation, a novel analytical framework was developed, combining a high- and a low-magnification analysis of a large sample of microburins. This approach enabled both the identification and description of combinations of micro-, meso-, and macroscopic features diagnostic of diverse microburin blow techniques and provided valuable insight into the variability of production modalities of Sauveterrian geometrics, i.e. the number of microliths and microburins obtainable from a single blank. Furthermore, this research extends beyond the experimental realm, examining an assemblage of microburins from SU 8 of Mondeval de Sora (San Vito, N-E Italy), for which two new radiocarbon dates are reported here, providing a more precise chrono-cultural attribution of its occupation. Such an analysis revealed the application of one specific microburin blow technique applied by the Sauveterrian inhabitants of the site. At the same time, a meticulous technological study of a representative sample of geometrics was performed, enhancing our understanding of the chaîne opératoire involving their production. The results of this study represent a major advance for the interpretation of the microburin blow method and its role in Mesolithic armatures production, contributing to a richer characterisation of the Sauveterrian technical traditions.