Tool Making Techniques Flashcards
What are the 5 methods of tool-making?
- Hard Hammer Percussion.
- Soft Hammer Percussion.
- Pressure flaking.
- Punch Blade.
- Levallois.
What is Hard Hammer Percussion?
Chipping a core with a harder material producing larger flakes.
Who used Hard Hammer Percussion?
- Homo habilis.
- Homo erectus.
What is Soft Hammer Percussion?
Is a soft hammer made of bone. The core is being struck to remove flakes. It is chipped by striking with a softer material producing smaller flakes therefore allowing for more precision and a sharper edge.
Who used Soft Hammer Percussion?
- Homo neantherdrals
What is Pressure Flaking?
- Small controlled flakes are chipped off from the blade.
- This allowed for finer work.
- It is the removal of stone from the edges with a pointed implement.
Who used Pressure Flaking?
- Homo sapiens (Cro Magnon)
What is Punch Blade?
Is made of antler or stone and is used as an intermediary tool. The punch is placed at the edge of the core and hit with a hammer stone. This enables more precision and therefore finer work.
Who used Punch Blade?
- Homo sapiens (Cro magnon)
What is Levallois?
Involved preparing a core and strikng off a large oval flake. The flake is then retouched on one surface only.
Who used Levallois?
- Homo neantherdrals
What method did Homo habilis and erectus use?
Hard Hammer percussion.
What method did Homo Neanderthals use?
- Soft hammer percussion.
- Levallois.
What method did Homo sapiens use?
- Pressure flaking.
- Punch blade.
