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Grant support

The authors want to express their gratitude to the members of the Boumort National Game Reserve (Catalonia). This research is framed in the PGC2018-093925-B-C32 (MICINN-FEDER), the 2017SGR1040 and 2017SGR836 (AGAUR) and the 2018PFR-URV-B2-91 (URV) projects. Research at IPHES is framed in the CERCA program. J.L.F.M. is beneficiary of PhD research fellowship FPI MINECO/FSE (BES-2015074931) associated with the MINECO project HAR2014-55131. D.L. is a beneficiary of PhD research fellowship AGAUR/FSE L' FSE inverteix en el teu futur (2020 FI_B2 00164). R.H. is a beneficiary of a PhD research fellowship URV-Marti-Franques Research Grant (2019PMF-PIPF-59). I.C. is beneficiary of a PEJ grant (PEJ2018-005226-P) funded by the Spanish National System of Garantia Juvenil and the European Social Fund. The authors want to thank the Editors of the Special Volume Functional Studies of Prehistoric Artefacts and their Socio-economic Meaning for this opportunity. We also want to thank Paloma de la Pena and the other 4 anonymous reviewers for their very helpful and constructive comments.

Analysis of institutional authors

Mateo-Lomba, PaulaAuthorLombao, DiegoAuthorHernando, RaquelAuthor

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June 30, 2020
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Rainbow in the dark. The identification of diagnostic projectile impact features on rock crystal

Publicated to:Journal Of Archaeological Science: Reports. 31 (102315): 102315- - 2020-06-01 31(102315), DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102315

Authors: Luis Fernandez-Marchena, Juan; Ramon Rabunal, Jose; Mateo-Lomba, Paula; Lombao, Diego; Hernando, Raquel; Cueva-Temprana, Arturo; Cazalla, Irene

Affiliations

Inst Catala Paleoecol Humana & Evolucio Social IP, Zona Educ 4,Campus Sescelades URV,Edif W3, Tarragona 43007, Spain - Author
Max Planck Inst Sci Human Hist, Dept Archaeol, Kahla Str 10, D-07745 Jena, Germany - Author
Univ Alicante, Inst Univ Invest Arqueol & Patrimonio Hist INAPH, Edificio Inst Univ Nuevos, San Vicente Del Raspeig 03690, Spain - Author
Univ Barcelona, Dept Hist & Arqueol, Seccio Prehist & Arqueol, Seminari Estudis & Recerques Prehist SERP, Montalegre 6-8, Barcelona 08001, Spain - Author
Univ Rovira & Virgili, Dept Hist & Hist Art, Avinguda Catalunya 35, Tarragona 43002, Spain - Author
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Abstract

Over the last years, functional analyses and projectile fracture analyses on non-chert tools are becoming widespread and are drawing more attention in the archaeological literature. The actual tendencies of conducting holistic studies of the archaeological sites and their materials is allowing to obtain a better quality of data and a better understanding of the subsistence patterns of hunter-gatherer societies. In this way, rock crystal and other types of minerals and rocks of the quartzose group are getting a significant presence in the literature. In this paper, we intend to address a comprehensive approach, both macroscopic and microscopic, to an assemblage of experimental rock crystal projectiles to shed light on the identification of the diagnostic features of the use of small rock crystal pieces as projectile points. Aiming to avoid misidentifications, we did not only follow a sequential experiment design, but also carried out a comparative analysis between impact fractures and knapping fractures, marks from bipolar knapping on an anvil, and intentional bending fractures. Besides, in the elaboration of the experimental projectile assemblage we used different sets of targets to document possible differences in the quantity and disposition of the wear impact traces.

Keywords

ArrowheadsArrowsDifExperimental archaeologyMlitProjectilesQuartzRock crystalSemStone-ageToolsUse-wearUse-wear analyses

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Journal Of Archaeological Science: Reports due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency Scopus (SJR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2020, it was in position , thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category History. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 2.18. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 1.75 (source consulted: FECYT Feb 2024)
  • Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 6.62 (source consulted: Dimensions Jul 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-21, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 10
  • Scopus: 10

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-21:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 24.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 23 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 16.65.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 26 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Germany.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (Cazalla, Irene).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Cazalla, Irene.