Lithic production from local raw materials during Late Paleolithic/Mesolithic period in Bohemia: example of exploitation of the Rock crystal at Soutice 1 (Benešov District)

On site production from local raw material has its specific characteristics. Rock crystal and quartz are raw materials, which were widely used during prehistory. However, an example of their exploitation at the proximity of the source was missing from the Czech Republic. The article discusses attributes of the lithic production from local raw materials using the example of rock crystal. There is a presentation of the lithic collection from the site of Soutice 1 (Central Bohemia), which was recently discovered at the confluence of the rivers Sázava and Želivka. The site was discovered by surface survey during 2023. More than 500 lithic pieces were collected. The assemblage is dominated by rock crystal. The site is situated in archaeologically understudied area. One of the origins of this raw material often seen in this region is the area of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Usually, this raw material forms only a small part of the known collections, but it was present in low numbers at various locations even quite distant from the origin. So, it seems that rock crystal as a raw material was quite popular. The discovery of a site that is near the possible source of this raw material can help us understand specific characteristics of the production of this raw material and some aspects of the production from these local raw materials in general.