[TXnMA]

fso301: "There may just be only so many ways you can knapp stone into a useful tool

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There are:

That's my handout for when I demo/teach basic Lithic Technology (aka "FlintKnapping") to any group from gradeschool kids to "Archaeological Lithics Academies" for adults.

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"Lithic reduction" (aka "toolmaking") generally proceeds from top to bottom:

1. The "Hard Hammer" ("Hammerstone") works by putting a 120-degree circular "shockwave cone" into the preform (like a BB hitting glass). Properly angled, a portion of the "shockwave cone" causes a fairly thick, "shell-shaped" (aka "Conchoidal") flake to detach -- by causing the material to fail in COMPRESSION.

2. The "Soft Hammer" (antler, bone, or wood billet" or ") causes a prepared, isolated "striking platform" (aligned with a "backbone ridge" [aka "arris"]) to fail IN TENSION -- "peeling off" a long, thin flake that generally follows the ridge .

3. "Pressure Flaking" Uses a fairly sharp (antler tip or bone) tool to direct a LOT of COMPRESSION ("pressure") force [large arrow vector] into a miniature "Force Platform" -- in the direction of the intended flake removal. Then, [small vector arrow] a twist of the wrist directs sufficient force away from the preform to "peel off" a long, narrow flake (in TENSION). For example, pressure flaking is used to produce fine "ribbon flaking" like this

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"Fluting" is a special case of SOFT HAMMER flake detachment:

For fluting, the hard part is getting the preform into exactly the right shape (with a created "ridge" down the side to be fluted -- and a properly isolated and prepared "striking platform" (aligned with the ridge) on the end of the preform you're going to hit -- with a "Soft Hammer".

Oh -- and being able to hit ONLY the "platform -- at exactly the right angle -- with precisely the right amount of speed and force...

AND -- wrapping & supporting the preform blade along its entire length, so it doesn't try to flex & bend in the middle -- and, with a sharp "CRACK!" -- "provide you with TWO practice pieces" -- through a physical phenomenon known as "End Shock" [or, "$#@*&#^!!!"]  '-}

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FWIW: Imagine trying to explain the above by only pointing and grunting!

I believe that flintknapping helped force development of language and graphics (sketching)!

TMI? Well -- you did raise the subject...!   <LOL!!>

TXnMA    
  

[Pontiac]

Thank you for the post.

I have often wondered about the details of flint napping.

I hope someday to see a demonstration and possibly take a class.

It’s on my bucket list.

[PIF]

FWIW: Imagine trying to explain the above by only pointing and grunting!

I believe that flintknapping helped force development of language and graphics (sketching)!

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The people who made them could talk as well as you or I; anatomically correct humans have been traced back using mtDNA to 300,000 years ago. Talking is not a new thing. In fact, there is some evidence that writing is far older than we have previously believed, but remains untranslated.

Those Arabian long leaf-shaped bifocal points are related to European Solutrean, Swiderian, and North American Clovis traditions.

The conclusions made are just noise made by people who do not want to give the impression they are rocking the status quo and so are talking through their hat (muffled noises which are nonsense: ‘a mere display of knapping skills’).