Lithics

Lithics is the study of stone tools and the broader material remains produced by the practice of knapping and related stone-working technologies. In archaeology, lithics encompasses the analysis of chipped and ground stone artifacts, the materials from which they were made, and the behaviors surrounding their production, use, and discard. The field combines aspects of technology, economy, and culture to infer how past communities obtained resources, manufactured implements, and adapted to their environments.

A lithic assemblage typically includes cores, flakes, blades, utilized or retouched tools, and debitage—the waste material generated during reduction. Analysts reconstruct reduction sequences and tool manufacture through the concept of the chaîne opératoire, tracing steps from raw material selection to final tool use and maintenance. Typology, measurements, and studying surface modification provide information about tool function, technology, and chronological change.

Methods used in lithics include morphological classification, platform analysis, scar patterns, edge retardation, and use-wear or residue analysis to infer how tools were used. Experimental archaeology, in which researchers replicate knapping techniques, complements interpretation by linking observed traits with specific production methods.

Lithic analysis informs on broader questions of behavior, such as mobility and settlement patterns, procurement strategies, exchange networks, and technological innovation. Materials commonly studied include chert, flint, obsidian, quartzite, and basalt. Limitations arise from preservation biases, incomplete assemblages, and the issue of equifinality, where similar artifacts can result from different processes. Despite these challenges, lithics remains central to understanding human technological evolution and daily life in archaeological contexts.