Lithic

Lithic is a term derived from the Greek lithos, meaning stone. It is used across geology, archaeology, and anthropology to refer to stone materials or stone-working technology.

In geology and petrology, lithic describes rocks or fragments composed predominantly of stone. In volcanology and sedimentology, lithic fragments or lithic clasts are pre-existing rock fragments incorporated into volcanic ejecta or sedimentary deposits, as opposed to crystalline minerals or volcanic glass. The lithic content of a deposit helps interpret formation processes, transport dynamics, and source materials.

In archaeology and anthropology, lithics constitute the broad category of stone tools and the debris produced during their manufacture. Lithic technology studies how raw materials are processed into blanks, cores, flakes, and finished tools such as scrapers, blades, and points. Lithic analysis encompasses typology, technological analysis (chaîne opératoire), and use-wear analysis to infer function. Sourcing studies use petrographic, geochemical, or isotopic methods to identify the provenance of lithic materials and reconstruct trade or mobility patterns. The study of lithics provides insights into cognitive abilities, craft specialization, cultural transmission, and adaptation in prehistoric populations. The term is often used interchangeably with “stone tools” or “stone artifacts,” but emphasizes the material category and the analytical framework applied.

Related terms include lithology, the broader discipline focused on rock types and properties, and lithification, the process by which sediments are transformed into rock. See also lithic technology, lithic analysis, and major prehistoric tool traditions such as Oldowan, Acheulean, and Mousterian.