Lithic Glossary. Laboratory of Archaeology. University of British Columbia

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1 Laboratory of Archaeology University of British Columbia

2 ABRADED: SEE GROUND ABRADER/WHETSTONE Coarse grained stone, usually a slab, used to shape, sharpen, and/or smooth other material. Descriptors: Concave, Convex, Grooved, Incised, One-sided, Perforated, Polished, Shaped, Two-sided. ABRADER, SAW Abrader Saw Sawn Nephrite Coarse grained stone, usually a slab, used to saw other lithic material. This technique creates a large groove that is then able to be snapped. Abrader saws are usually ground on one or both sides. Descriptors: Beveled, Bilateral, Burnt, Grooved, Incised, One-sided, Perforated, Two-sided, Unilateral. ADZE BLADE Used for cutting, shaping, and carving. They are ground and polished with a sharp beveled edge on at least one face. Alternative Term: Celt Descriptors: Basal Thinned, Beveled Bifacial, Beveled, Unifacial, Edge Modification, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished, Symmetric Boulder that has been modified through perforation or grooving. Used for securing watercraft. Descriptors: Perforated ANCHOR ANTHRO/ZOOMORPHIC Describes object with human\animal features.

3 ANVIL STONE Flat surface upon which a tool can be made. One or both sides will appear pitted. Descriptors: Battered, Boulder, Burnt, Cobble, Concave, Convex, Grooved, Incised BASAL THINNED Describes a chipped stone point that has had flakes removed at base so that it can be slotted into a shaft. BATTERED Damage found on end of an object that was caused by repetitive hitting against another object. Often found on hammerstones. BEAD Small, central biconical perforation, made from shell, ceramic, glass, or stone. Descriptors: Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished BEAD, DISC Diameter is usually larger than thickness. Most often made from slate. These should be measured according to Appendix E Descriptors: Polished, Perforated BEVELED A tool edge that has been modified by grinding to produce a desired edge angle. Bifacially Beveled: Beveled on two sides. Bilaterally Beveled: Beveled on two edges Unifacially Beveled: Beveled on one side. Unilaterally Beveled: Beveled on one edge.

4 BIFACE A chipped stone tool that has workings on two surfaces. The flake scars often travel at least half-way across the face. Descriptors: Basal Thinned, Edge Modification, Lanceolate, Leaf-Shaped, Notched Basal, Notched Corner, Notched Side, Polished, Serrated Bilateral, Serrated Unilateral, Stemmed, Symmetric. BLADE Removed vertically from the core by pressure flaking. Must be at least 11 mm wide and twice as long as it is wide. Descriptors: Edge Modification, Prismatic BLADE CORE: SEE CORE, BLADE BLANK: SEE PREFORM BOULDER A rock fragment greater than 256 millimeters in diameter. BOWL Round dish used for holding liquids, foods, etc. Mortar Alternative term: Descriptors: Battered, Concave, Convex, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/ Zoomorphic, Grooved, Hollowed, Incised, Polished.

5 BURIN Chipped stone tool used for engraving. It has a chiseled edge which is produced by the removal of two flakes at right angles to one another or by the removal of one single flake to create a very fine sharp and durable edge. Descriptors: Biface, Edge Modification, Polished, Uniface CELT: SEE ADZE BLADE CHIPPED Manufacturing technique used on lithic material by which small pieces of rock are removed by percussion or pressure. Alternative term: Flaked. CHOPPER A chipped stone tool made from a smooth water-worn cobble. Flakes were removed from one end while the other end was left smooth to fit easily into the hand. It was used for cutting, crushing, cracking, shredding, scraping, etc. Can be difficult to distinguish from a cobble core. Descriptors: Battered. Biface, Edge Modification, Uniface CLUB Hard stone, cylindrical, and often perforated at one end. Used as a hunting tool or as a weapon. Descriptors: Battered, Beveled Bifacial, Beveled Bilateral, Beveled Unifacial, Beveled Unilateral, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished. COBBLE A rock fragment between 64 and 256 millimeters in diameter. CONCAVE Curved like a segment of the interior of a circle or hollow sphere; hollow and curved. This term is used where the use surface is concave.

6 CORE A nucleus or mass of rock that shows signs of detached piece removal. Descriptors: Battered, Polished, Prismatic, Symmetric. CORE, BIPOLAR/BIPOLAR WEDGE/PIÈCE ESQUILLÉES These artifacts are all created through a bipolar reduction flaking technique. They are battered on opposite ends with negative bulb scars, often in a double wedge shape. Bipolar cores have cortex, are long and narrow, and exhibit battering and flaking on two opposite ends but not the lateral margins. Bipolar wedges exhibit battering and flaking on all four margins and have flake scars running perpendicular to one another. Pièce esquillées are rectaguloid, have crushed margins (often the lateral ones), and exhibit irregular bipolar flake scars CORE, BLADE Raw material from which blades were removed. Flat platform, close to 90 degrees from surface. Has parallel straight flake scars. Descriptors: Battered, Polished, Symmetric. CORE, MICROBLADE Raw material from which microblades were removed. Flat platform, close to 90 degrees from surface. Has parallel straight flake scars. Descriptors: Polished, Symmetric. DEBITAGE Detached pieces that are discarded during the reduction process that show no secondary modification. Do Not use as a database term. DRILL/BORER This biface was made using chipped stone technology. It was used in a rotary motion to perforate or bore materials. Descriptors: Biface, Edge Modification, Uniface

7 DRILLED Manufacturing technique to pierce or bore into an object. Will produce depression with parallel sides. EDGE MODIFICATION Any modification to an edge of a chipped stone tool that occurred due to retouching or utilization. FIRE-CRACKED: SEE FIRE-ALTERED FIRE-ALTERED ROCK Rock that has been altered by fire. May display charcoal residues, cracks, and colour change. Descriptors: Battered. Blackened, Boulder, Burnt, Cobble, Cracked, Crazy Cracked, Granule, Pebble, Pot-lidded, Reddened. FLAKE A portion of rock removed from a core by percussion or pressure. A complete flake will exhibit a bulb, platform, and termination. A flake must exhibit at least the platform or remnant of platform, otherwise it will be considered shatter. For measurements see Appendix E. FLAKE, BI-POLAR A portion of rock removed from a core by percussion or pressure. Will exhibit two bulbs of percussion at opposite ends. It is a product of a Bi-polar core. FLAKED: SEE CHIPPED

8 FOSSIL A remnant or trace of an organism of a past geologic age, such as a skeleton or leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the earth's crust. GOUGED A hole or depression in object that does not have parallel sides. Can be accomplished by using a chisel. GRANULE A rock fragment that is 2-4 mm in diameter. GROOVED Describes a line in surface of object wider than 2mm caused by abrading or incising. GROUND Manufacturing technique by which small amounts of material are removed from an object by rubbing with a stone or abrasive material. Alternative term: Abraded. GROOVED MAUL Made from hard stone, hammer-like heads, prominent groove or perfo ration that enables head to be lashed to a handle. Descriptors: Battered, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished HAMMERSTONE Hand-gripping size, ends show signs of battering and/or grinding. Descriptors: Battered, Boulder, Burnt, Cobble, Granule, Grooved, Incised, Pebble, Polished

9 HAND MAUL Made from hard stone not prone to cracking or chipping. Used to pound wedges and other wood working requirements. May also be used for grinding. Decoration may occur at top of maul. Alternative term: Pestle. Descriptors: Battered, Conical Top, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/ Zoomorphic, Flat Top, Grooved, Grooved Top, Incised, Nipple TopPerforated, Phallic, Polished HEAT TREATED Manufacturing technique where the material is heated to change its structure in an effort to make it more effective for chipping. HOLLOWED Describes an object that has a space or cavity inside. HUMANFIGURE BOWL Human figure usually seated and holding bowl. Figure is always more dominate than the bowl which sometimes may simply be a shallow depression. Descriptors: Concave, Convex, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Hollowed, Incised, Perforated, Polished, Sculpted. INCISED A fine line cut into the surface that is less than 2mm wide. INLAID An object decorated by insetting/fitting a secondary material in its surface.

10 KNIFE Is a cutting tool with long edge for cutting. Sometimes difficult to distinguish from a point. Descriptors: Battered, Beveled Bifacial, Beveled Bilateral, Beveled Unifacial, Beveled Unilateral, Edge Modification, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished, Shaped. LABRET A decoration that sits in a perforation in the lip. Characteristics include polished and ground surfaces. They will vary in shape and size. All labrets have one concave side that is worn on inside of mouth against the teeth. Descriptors: Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished. LAMP A vessel used to provide light. Usually determined by shape or traces of oil/fat. Descriptors: Concave, Convex, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Hollowed, Incised, Polished LANCEOLATE Object that has two parallel lateral margins tapering to a point. This term is only used when describing projectile points. LEAF-SHAPED Used to describe a chipped or ground stone point. Having a plane figure like the longitudinal section of an egg with broader end at the base. Object is un-stemmed. MICROBLADE Made from cryptocrystalline materials. Removed vertically from the core by pressure flaking. A microblade has parallel margins. Must be less than 11 mm wide and twice as long as it is wide. Descriptors: Edge Modification, Prismatic

11 MICROBLADE CORE: SEE CORE, MICROBLADE MORTAR: SEE BOWL NOTCHED Describes a small steep indentation in the side, base or corner of an object to facilitate hafting. Notched, Corner: When the corner is missing and replaced with a notch Notched, Basal: When the corners are parallel with the base. Notched, Side: When part of the side has been replaced with a notch. Corner will still be visible ONE-SIDED Descriptive term that refers to Abraders/Whetstones. It is used to describe the small depression caused from abrasion on the working surface. An Abrader/Whetstone can be one-sided or two-sided. Once this depression grows large enough to be called a groove, this term is no longer used. PAINTED A manufacturing technique when solid colouring matter has been applied to an object. PEBBLE Loose particles of rock or mineral that range in size from 4-64mm in diameter.

12 PECKED Manufacturing technique by which the material is pulverized and shaped by sharply and repeatedly hitting it with another stone of greater hardness. PENDANT Small, hanging ornament. Usually used for personal adornment. Descriptors: Beveled Bifacial, Beveled Bilateral, Beveled Unifacial, Beveled Unilateral, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Phallic, Polished PERFORATED Describes an object that has a hole all the way through. PESTLE: SEE HAND MAUL PIÈCE ESQUILLÉE: SEE BI-POLAR CORE PILE DRIVER Hefty implement for heavy-duty work. Usually have thumb and finger grooves. Used for driving stakes or posts into the ground. Descriptors: Battered, Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorpic, Grooved, Incised, Polished, Shaped PIPE Components consist of a stem that was long and hollow and a bowl which held the material being smoked. Descriptors: Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Hollowed, Incised, Perforated, Polished, Tapered Having penis-like features PHALLIC

13 POLISHED Describes an object that has been made smooth or glossy by rubbing or friction. Polishing can occur in manufacturing or through use. PREFORM Any object that has been modified but is not identifiable as a completed form. PRISMATIC Used to describe the cross-section of a blade or micro-blade. PROJECTILE POINT Made from chipped or ground stone technology. Chipped Descriptors: Basal Thinned, Biface, Edge Modification, Lanceolate, Leaf-Shaped, Notched Basal, Notched Corner, Notched Side, Perforated, Polished, Serrated Bilateral, Serrated Unilateral, Stemmed, Symmetric, Uniface Ground Descriptors: Basal Thinned, Beveled Bifacial, Beveled Bilateral, Beveled Unifacial, Beveled Unilateral, Edge Modification, Grooved, Incised, Lanceolate, Leaf-Shaped, Notched Basal, Notched Corner, Notched Side, Perforated, Polishd, Stemmed, Symmetric RAW MATERIAL Lithic material in an unworked state or with 2 or less flakes removed that indicated that the material was being tested. In this case the flaked/chipped as the manufacturing technique. SCRAPER Descriptors: Boulder, Burnt, Cobble, Granule, Patinated, Pebble, Polished A chipped stone tool with a concave edge. Base will often be thinned so Descriptors: Basal Thinned, Biface, Edge Modification, Polished, Uniface

14 SCULPTURE Common name for object that has been shaped, often is zoomorphic or anthropomorphic. Descriptors: Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Phallic, Polished SERRATED Describes an object where the edge has been cut to form consistent notches or teeth for the entire length of the edge. Bilateral Serration: Serrated on two edges Unilateral Serration: Serrated on one edge. SHAPED This term is only used for Abraders/Whetstone where all sides of the object have been ground. SHATTER Common name for a flake that does not show signs of platform. SINKERSTONE All sinkerstones are perforated. They can be made from most lithic materials and can have many overall shapes. They are attached to fishing nets or lines to sink them under the water. Descriptors: Grooved (wasted), Incised, Notched, Perforated, Polished. SPALL A flake where the cortex remains covering one complete side. use wear or retouch. Little to no Descriptors: Polished.

15 SPALL TOOL This tool could often be used for cutting and scraping. The convex side will show cortex. Retouch may be present to sharpen tool. Descriptors: Edge Modification, Polished. SPOKESHAVE Similar to a chopper, however, the spokeshave has a concave working surface. Descriptors: Biface, Edge Modification, Perforated, Polished, Uniface. Refers to the base of the point. STEMMED SYMMETRIC Identical on both sides of a central line. Only used when object is complete or mostly complete. This descriptor is used only when describing projectile points. Gradual angle that ends in a point. TAPERED TWO-SIDED Descriptive term that refers to Abraders/Whetstones. It is used to describe the small depression caused from abrasion on the working surface. An Abrader/Whetstone can be one-sided or two-sided. Once this depression grows large enough to be called a groove, this term is no longer used. UNIFACE A tool where only one surface has been chipped. Descriptors: Basal Thinned, Edge Modification, Lanceolate, Notched Basal, Notched Corner, Notched Side, Polished, Serrated Bilateral, Serrated Unilateral, Stemmed, Symmetric

16 UNMODIFIED When an object has not been purposefully altered by a human from its original state. WEDGE: SEE BI-POLAR CORE WHATZIT Well made and finely finished stone objects. Descriptors: Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Hollowed, Incised, Perforated, Phallic, Polished, Tapered. WHORL Attached to a spindle. Acted as a flywheel and a base to hold the spun material. Descriptors: Decorated, Decorated Anthro/Zoomorphic, Grooved, Incised, Perforated, Polished