T. Tsonev1, E. Montagnari Kokelj2, Ch. Piano2
1 Inst. of Archaeology and Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria
2 Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Antichita, Universita` di Trieste, Italy

The paper proposes an analytical model based on GIS-built terrain models for assessment of efficiency of chipped-stone techniques. The model includes four successive steps. The first one gives an approximate estimate of initial sizes of the nodules, out of which successive stages of core reduction occur. The second one includes GIS data that permit assessment of traits based mostly on digital terrain models. The third step assesses the type of relationship: linear or not between the amount of waste and the GIS defined features. The fourth one allows to build up various strategies based on the dependence between the platform position (optimal value), the amount of waste, the number of secondary platforms, the number of the long blanks detached, and the relative amount of core exploitation failures.
GIS analysis mainly starts from characteristics of the present-day landscape but the aim is to put greater emphasis on the palaeo-geographic context of the sites.
The combined analytical model with GIS data makes it flexible to assess independently different strategies of past human behaviour.
Key words: spatio-temporal social patterns, digital terrain models, chipped-stone technological cycles