In 1980-1, 1986 and 1994, excavations were undertaken at the Carmelite Friary in Aberdeen, and as a supplement to rich medieval finds, 335 lithic artefacts (mainly flint) were recovered. Only 13 of these were found in primary contexts (Phase 1), and as a consequence very little can be said about the prehistoric background of the assemblage.
Most of the lithic finds (288 artefacts) are from the 1994 excavation, which covers the north-west portion of the Church and West Range of the Friary, as well as parts of the Graveyard. A smaller number of finds (31 artefacts) are from the 1980-1 excavations, and 16 pieces were recovered in 1986.
The purpose of this report is to characterise the assemblage, with special reference to raw materials (types of flint), typological composition and technology. Based on this characterisation, and the distribution of raw materials, types and technological attributes by trench, the date of the assemblage will be discussed. As an initial cursory examination suggested that the finds may contain elements of different ages, an important aim of this analysis was to separate and define the different sub-assemblages of the collection.
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