Search for: [Abstract = %22As previously suspected%2C the St. Veit Klippen Belt series west of the city limits of Vienna produced evidence for prehistoric quarrying and knapping activities linked to radiolarite outcrops additional to the well%5C-known site of Vienna Mauer. However%2C the density of this recently discovered %E2%80%98mining cluster%E2%80%99 west of Vienna surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. The present study discusses one of the largest newly discovered knapping sites within this mining landscape%2C the Baunzen site%2C St. P%C3%B6lten%5C-Land district. Surveys of the archaeological evidence%2C a characterization of %E2%80%98Baunzen type%E2%80%99 silicites and initial techno%5C-typological investigations on a representative sample of debitage allowed for preliminary assessments of the new finding%60s nature. The site is composed of an extensive waste heap of on%5C-the%5C-spot knapping and testing debris%2C weathering out of a steep slope bounded by a small river%2C and additionally cut by a recently constructed road. The Baunzen type raw material consists of two main radiolarite varieties. Both are in most cases fine grained but frequently display tectonic clefts%2C reducing the overall knapping quality significantly. As a result%2C oftentimes only small angular broken specimens could be used as initial cores.Chronologically%2C quarrying and knapping activities at the Baunzen site appear to cover an extended period of time. The investigated sample of debitage%2C exclusively surface finds%2C suggests a relatively young dating within the Neolithic period and potentially beyond%2C with the majority of the lithic material assignable to the flake dominated Late Neolithic %5C(Copper Age%5C) industries in northeastern Austria. However%2C based on the admittedly poor state of research concerning the Late%5C- and Eneolithic in the study area%2C only a small number of assemblages dating to those periods contain Baunzen type material%2C and to date there exists no evidence for Post%5C-Neolithic stone tool production on Baunzen radiolarite. Hopefully%2C ongoing projects will be able to answer the most pressing chronological issues of the %E2%80%98Neolithic mining landscape of Vienna%E2%80%99%2C with the Baunzen site as starting point%22]

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