Quantifying use-wear traces through RIMAPS and Variogram analyses

The aim of this paper is to present the results obtained through the application of two imaging methods named rotated image with maximum average power spectrum (RIMAPS) and Variograms to mathematically characterize distinct patterns of worked materials on used edges of lithic artifacts. Both analytical procedures were performed on digitized images taken with an electronic microscope, allowing for the quantitative description of a given surface and revealing its topographic patterns. The preliminary research conducted on a sample of experimental lithic artifacts used to process different materials has shown promising results to the extent that fingerprints of different work processes (hide, bone, and wood-working) can be drawn.