- Blade (archaeology)
In
archaeology a blade is a type ofstone tool created by striking a long narrow flake from a stone core.Blades are defined as being flakes that are at least twice as long as they are wide and that have parallel or subparallel sides and at least two ridges on the dorsal (outer) side. They became the favored technology of the
Upper Palaeolithic era, although they are occasionally found in earlier periods. A soft punch orhammerstone is necessary in creating a blade and their long sharp edges made them useful for a variety of purposes. They were often worked to create scrapers orburin s.Cores from which blades have been struck are called
blade core s and the tools created from single blades are calledblade tool s. Small examples (under 12 mm) are calledmicroblade s and were used in theMesolithic as elements ofcomposite tool s. Blades with one edge blunted by removal of tiny flakes are calledbacked blade .References
*Butler, C (2005). "Prehistoric Flintwork", Tempus, Stroud. ISBN 0-7524-3340-7.
*Darvill, T (ed.) (2003). "Oxford Concise Dictionary of Archaeology", Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280005-1.
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