Classification of Lithic Artefacts from the British Late Glacial and Holocene Periods

By (author) Torben Bjarke Ballin

Book cover: Classification of Lithic Artefacts from the British Late Glacial and Holocene Periods

Extent: 100 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: European Prehistory

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(April 2021)

ISBN: 9781789698695

8.07 x 11.42 inches

Price: $35.00

Out of stock

This volume offers a system for the hierarchical classification of British lithic artefacts from the Late Glacial and Holocene periods, and it is hoped that it may find use as a guide book for, for example, archaeology students, museum staff, non-specialist archaeologists, local archaeology groups and lay enthusiasts.


A system for the hierarchical Classification of Lithic Artefacts from the British Late Glacial and Holocene Periods is offered in this book. It is hoped that it may find use as a guide book for archaeology students, museum staff, non-specialist archaeologists, local archaeology groups and lay enthusiasts. To allow the individual categories of lithic objects to be classified and characterised in detail, it was necessary to first define a number of descriptive terms, which forms the first part of this guide. The main part of the book is the lithic classification section, which offers definitions of the individual formal debitage, core and tool types. The basic questions asked are: what defines Object X as a tool and not a piece of debitage or a core; what defines a microlith as a microlith and not a knife or a piercer; and what defines a specific implement as a scalene triangle and not an isosceles one? As shown in the book, there are disagreements within the lithics community as to the specific definition of some types, demonstrating the need for all lithics reports to define which typological framework they are based on.

Preface Classification and characterisation of lithic artefacts The background to and aims of the present volume Chronology Basic descriptive terminology The main elements of flakes and blades Main percussion techniques and technological attributes Percussion angle Reduction sequence Type of retouch Orientation of retouch Morphology of retouch Angle of retouch Delineation of retouch The typology of lithic debitage, cores and tools Debitage Core preparation flakes Cores Formal tools Arrowheads Tanged arrowheads Curve-, angle-, and straight-backed points Leaf-shaped arrowheads Chisel-shaped and oblique arrowheads Barbed-and-tanged arrowheads Microliths and microlith-related pieces Crescents Scrapers Piercing implements Knives Other bifacial cutting implements Burins Fire-making implements Rods (LN and BA) Polished-edge implements Pieces with one or more notches Combined tools Pieces with other retouch Flint axeheads Tribrachs Tools used to produce the lithic assemblages (see Inizan et al. 1992) Bibliography, Preface ;

Classification and characterisation of lithic artefacts Basic descriptive terminology The typology of lithic debitage, cores and toolsFormal tools ;

Arrowheads ;

Tanged arrowheads ;

Curve-, angle-, and straight-backed points ;

Leaf-shaped arrowheads ;

Chisel-shaped and oblique arrowheads ;

Barbed-and-tanged arrowheads ;

Microliths and microlith-related pieces ;

Crescents ;

Scrapers ;

Piercing implements ;

Knives ;

Other bifacial cutting implements ;

Burins ;

Fire-making implements ;

Rods (LN and BA) ;

Polished-edge implements ;

Pieces with one or more notches ;

Combined tools ;

Pieces with other retouch ;

Flint axeheads ;

Tribrachs ;

Tools used to produce the lithic assemblages (see Inizan et al. 1992) Bibliography

  • By (author) Torben Bjarke Ballin