A Study of the Work of a Modern Tanner in Ethiopia and Its Relevance for Archaeological Interpretation

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study of the work of a modern tanner in Ethiopia and its relevance for archaeological interpretation. In interpreting the prehistoric function of end-scrapers, several possible uses have been suggested, ranging from chopping to cutting, scraping, chiseling, and grooving. The chapter explains that a great deal still remains to be undertaken in respect to studies of Fuga-Chawa obsidian working and use. It is expected that much of significance for archaeological interpretation result from such studies, as these scrapers are one of the very few kinds of regularly retouched tool made from stone in the world today. Lines of approach that trace the continuity from the present through the historic past to prehistoric times help to interpret the distribution patterns and variability observed in Later Stone Age and Iron Age contexts in Ethiopia and also have some general cautionary message to convey to archaeologists from further afield.