Lithic Technology

Stone tool technology

Simple, but not easy

Good example of culture as a “mental template”

 Lithic Technology

Don Crabtree's Law

“the greater the degree of final finishing
applied to a stone artifact, whether by flaking,
Corepolishing,
grinding and/or Tool Technology
the harder it is to
conclude the lithic reduction process which
produced Flake
the stoneTool Technology
artifact."

Blade Tool Technology

 Lithic Technology
The Atlatl

A typical atlatl is shaped like a large 2 foot long crochet hook

with finger loops at the end. The hook is inserted into a carved
depression in the end of the spear or dart and the spear is
An atlatlwith
thrown dart aismotion
usuallysimilar
made ofto three major
throwing elements:This
a baseball. the
main shaft,offoreshaft,
extension and projectile
the arm creates point.the force and results
2 1/2 times
in being able to throw the spear 2 1/2 times the distance
allowing for hunting at a distance.
 Microliths

They are very small stone artifacts usually made from sections
of small blades. They were too small to be used by themselves
and would have been set into wooden or bone handles to make
composite tools, some of which have been found
 Ground and Polished Tools

Made with tough, dense material such as basalt,

quartzite, mudstone, etc. This material could not be
shaped by chipping or flaking. Instead it was shaped
by pecking and crushing the surface, then grinding and
polishing.

Mano
Polished
Stone
andStone
Metate
AdzeAxe
with
(Celt)
Bowl
Arrow Points
 Lithic Technologies in
Order of Appearance

Core Tool Technology

Flake Tool Technology
Blade Tool Technology
Atl-Atl Points
Microliths
Ground and Polished Tools
Arrow Points