A Minet ed Dhalia point or stylet is an archaeological term for an elongated, isosceles triangle made with pressure flaking on both faces of a piece of flint. They are predominantly found at sites in Lebanon (ancient Canaan).[1] They are the type tool of the Énéolithique Ancien (Ancient Chalcolithic), named after the archaeological site of Minet ed Dhalia in Ras Beirut. The stylets range from 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 8 inches (20 cm) in length. They were first observed by Dawson in 1884 and later by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1910 and called "stylets" by Raoul Describes.[2] The exact use of Minet ed Dhalia points is uncertain although the shape bears certain similarities to metal fleshing tools used in the area in modern times.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Lorraine Copeland; P. Wescombe (1965). Inventory of Stone-Age sites in Lebanon, p. 49 and Figure XVI, p. 162. Imprimerie Catholique. Retrieved 21 July 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Zumoffen, Godefroy., Le Néolithiqueen Phénicie, Anthropos, Volume 5, Plate V, p. 150, 1910.