Flintknapping

John C. Whittaker is a professor of anthropology at Grinnell College and the author of American Flintknappers: Stone Age Art in the Age of Computers.

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Using This Book Learning to Knap 2. Flintknapping: Basic Principles Flintknapping Conchoidal Fracture Properties of Material Flakes and Cores 3. A Brief History of Flintknapping Prehistory of Stone Tools Recent "Stone-Age" People Modern Knapping Further Readings Other Resources: Finding Other Knappers 4. Raw Materials Stone Quality Stone Materials Heat-Treating Collecting Material: Ethical and Practical Considerations 5. Safety Proper Technique Eyes Hands Other Body Parts Lungs Waste Disposal Benefits 6. Hard-Hammer Percussion Material and Equipment Percussion-Flaking Principles: An Experiment Percussion Flaking Platforms The Face of the Core Terminations Curvature Starting a Core Summary: Nine Essentials Examples 7. Pressure Flaking Tools Raw Material First Principles Working Position Beginning Platform Preparation Thinning Notching Other Pressure-Flaking Techniques Summary: Six Essentials Application: Small Triangular Points from the Southwest Pressure-Flaking Problems Patterned Pressure Flaking 8. Soft-Hammer Percussion and Bifaces Definitions Tools Beginning Soft-Hammer Principles and Results Biface Thinning Flakes Fracture Theories The Blow Platforms Biface Stages Knapping Strategy and Other Considerations Example: A Basic Biface Biface Problems: Prehistoric Mistakes Summary 9. Blades and Fluting Blades Platforms Holding Punches The Blow Fluting Example: Fluted Point 10. Using Stone Tools Stone vs. Steel Edges and Cutting Making a Projectile Foreshaft Going On 11. Archaeological Analysis of Stone Tools Typology Stone Tool Types and Change through Time What People Did with Stones Sources of Variation: Why Stone Tools Are Not All Alike Analyzing Stone Tool Materials Technology and What It Tells Us Figuring Out Function Questions of Style Conclusions Appendix: Resources for Knappers References Index

"...very attractive to readers interested in ancient crafts, survival skills, or the history of technology... far superior to anything currently available." James C. Woods, director, The Herrett Museum, College of Southern Idaho "A mid-range user's guide to flintknapping is long overdue. There have been some admirable attempts to produce such a volume, but these have been targeted at specific, fairly narrow audiences. Not so with Flintknapping... [Whittaker's] clear aim is to reach professional archaeologists as well as hobbyists. I believe he achieves this goal with incredible skill and humor... I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in flintknapping." Plains Anthropologist "This great new publication is the new 'bible' on the subject of knapping." ATLATL "This is the best, most thorough summary available on flaked stone technology. The book skillfully blends instruction on how to make stone tools with information on how top interpret flaked stone artifacts." Northern Arizona Archaeology Society Newsletter "Whittaker presents this information at a level that will be readable by non-anthropologists as well as specialists in the field." James C. Woods, director, The Herrett Museum, College of Southern Idaho