The East Terrace Site
Stone Tool Technology

A number of rock types such as flint, chert, siltstone, and chalcedony were used to make a variety of chipped stone tools. This process, called flintknapping, was done in a variety of ways. One technique, direct free-hand percussion, involved striking a hand-sized round cobble, called a hammer stone, against the material to be chipped. Several hammer stones are present at the site. Another method, bipolar percussion, involved placing the material to be chipped on a flat stone on the ground and striking it with a hammer stone. Several stones with flat striking platforms were also found.

Once a large flake was produced, it could be further reduced and shaped using antler or bone flaking tools. Because antler and bone batons are softer and lighter, they allow more precise and subtle control of the flaking process. No bone or antler tools were recovered at East terrace, but the smallest waste flakes, which were 1/4 to 1/8 inch across, were probably pressed off large flakes using flaking tools like these.