One of the most important components of lithic analysis is the classification of stone artifacts. Figure 3 shows a flowchart that defines types based upon a series of attributes either present or absent. The typology is based upon the morphology of chipped stone artifacts and is not intended to reflect function (see artifact function in the following section). This basic chipped stone classification system encompasses all shapes of stone artifacts, and can be altered, modified, or expanded depending upon the needs of the researcher. There are a total of seven artifact types in this morphological typology. Three of the artifact types are debitage (‘proximal flakes’, ‘flake shatter’, and ‘angular shatter’), and four are tools (‘hafted bifaces’, ‘unhafted bifaces’, ‘flake tools’, and ‘core tools’) (see Figure 1 For examples).
The typology begins with chipped stone artifacts. If the artifact is not made from chipped stone, it is not included in the flowchart. All chipped stone artifacts located on the left side of the chart are objective pieces that have been intentionally modified or modified by use (tools). Chipped stone artifacts that have no intentional modification or modification resulting from use are on the right side of the chart (debitage).
Tools that have two surfaces which meet to form an edge that circumscribes the entire tool, and which have flakes removed on both surfaces are bifaces. Those tools without biface shaping and flaking are nonbifacial tools. Bifaces are further separated into those with haft elements (hafted bifaces) and those without haft elements (unhafted bifaces).
The tools included in the nonbifacial category are separated into flake tools and core tools based on the presence of a single recognizable dorsal and ventral surface (flake characteristics). Those tools with a single recognizable dorsal and a single recognizable ventral surface are considered flake tools and the other tools (not bifaces and not flake tools) are considered core tools.
The debitage (artifacts on the right side of the flowchart) are also separated based upon flake characteristics into a flake group and a nonflake group. The flake debitage is further separated based upon the presence or absence of a striking platform. Proximal flakes are those with a recognizable striking platform. Flake debitage without a striking platform is considered to be flake shatter. All debitage without a single recognizable dorsal and ventral surface is considered to be angular shatter.
Once the artifact assemblage is classified, based upon this typology or another typology, the specimens can be tabulated, measured, and assessed. Attributes related to size, shape, technology, raw material characteristics, and function can be recorded. Some functional parameters can only be determined by microscopic analysis. The section below discusses techniques of determining tool function using microwear analysis.
World History
