Ground stone tool (GST) technology includes artefacts utilized in pounding or grinding activities and characterized by long life cycles and multiple uses. The introduction of such technology dates back to early prehistory, and for this reason, it is used as prime evidence for tackling a wide range of archaeological questions such as the origins of technology, patterns of daily subsistence and lifeways. In this paper, we contribute to the field of study of GSTs by discussing the application of a novel multi-level analytical approach combining use wear and residue observations at low and high magnification with residue spatial distribution investigated using GIS. We aim to assess the potential of a combined use wear and residue approach to (1) discriminate specific gestures and worked materials on sandstone GSTs and (2) understand the potential of residue distributions for reconstructing ancient GST functions and, more specifically, the role of GSTs recovered at Mesolithic sites of the Danube Gorges region in the Central Balkans. We identified diagnostic surface modifications associated with the use of GSTs in different activities involving both animal and plant materials. Morphological characteristics of residues have been described under reflected and transmitted light and characterized using biochemical staining. Finally, we mapped residues across the utilized surfaces of experimental tools to link patterns of residue spatial distribution to specific materials and gestures. We expect our methodological approach will be taken up by other researchers in order to produce comparable datasets on GSTs and improve our understanding of their ancient functional biographies.

磨石工具（GST）技术包括用于敲击或磨削活动的人工制品，其特征是使用寿命长且用途广泛。这种技术的引入可以追溯到史前早期，因此，它被用作解决各种考古问题的主要证据，例如技术的起源，日常生存方式和生活方式。在本文中，我们通过讨论新颖的多级分析方法的应用，为GST的研究做出了贡献，该方法结合了在低倍和高倍处的使用磨损和残留物观察与使用GIS研究的残留物空间分布相结合。我们旨在评估磨损和残留物联合使用方法的潜力，以（1）区分砂岩GST上的特定手势和工作材料，以及（2）了解残留物分布在重建古代GST功能方面的潜力，更具体地讲，是GSTs在中部巴尔干多瑙河峡谷地区的中石器时代遗址中回收。我们确定了在涉及动物和植物材料的不同活动中与GST的使用相关的诊断表面修饰。残留物的形态特征已在反射和透射光下进行了描述，并使用生化染色进行了表征。最后，我们在实验工具的利用表面上绘制了残渣图，以将残渣空间分布的模式链接到特定的材料和手势。