Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University
Abstract
The aim of this article is to briefly explore how quartz-rich sandstone might have been perceived by TRB societies. Using the senses as a point of departure, it discusses how sandstone was selected for grinding stones and for dry walling in megaliths, emphasizing the significance of the visual as well as the mechanical properties of the material. The article also acknowledges the complexity of the way in which the material was perceived. The significance of sandstone was shaped by context, implying that a changing context altered its significance. Ultimately, this study is a call for taking materials seriously by exploring them in a more nuanced way. Analogies, for example, can be very useful – not as proof, but as a way of raising questions and scenting the diversity of the Neolithic
