Abstract: This article discusses the use-wear experiment and analyses of hornfel burins. The raw materials of experimental tools were collected from the Dingcun site. The working motions involved in this experiment are scraping and graving and the worked material are dry cow bones and pines with different humidity. Ten artifacts were chosen for a multi-stage experiment through sequential control. This experiment demonstrates that different working motions and worked materials can produce different use-wear: 1) Scraping bones: Most scars appear on the noncontact surface, dominated by small feathered scars, a few medium and large scars are scattered distributed. Heavy rounding were found on the used edges. 2) Graving bones: Scars appeared along both sides of edges, with occasional small-feathered scars and few stepped scars. Light and medium rounding were found on the edge. 3) Graving dry pinewood: Scars occur scattered on both sides of edges. Scars are mainly stepped and some of them are directional. The rounding is light. 4) Graving fresh pinewood: The use-wear is similar to scars caused by graving dry pinewood, but the rounding is lighter. 5) Graving dry pinewood: Scars mainly appear on the non-contact surface and the edge is dominated by medium-to-heavy rounding. This multi-stage experiment shows that rounding will generate quickly in the first 10 minutes and will hardly get heavier after 15 minutes’ using. As time goes on, the numbers of scars will increase and the invasion distance of the scar becomes deeper, but some small scars will disappear, because of the overlay of the following usages. By studying the use-wear on hornfel burins, this article intends to establish a set of reference standards for local lithic use-wear that can be used to compare with archaeological assemblages.

Key words: use-wear analysis; hornfels; burins; multi-stage experiment; sequential experiment