Prehistoric technology

Tools, techniques, and materials developed and used by human societies before written records. Its archaeological traces reveal how people made things, obtained resources, and adapted to changing environments.

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Stone tool: A tool made by shaping or using stone, especially through deliberate flaking or grinding. Stone tools preserve a long record of prehistoric methods and changing skills.
Lithic reduction: The removal of flakes from stone cores to produce tools or usable sharp edges. This sequence of strikes underlies much of the archaeological record of stone technology.
Prehistoric hunting: The pursuit and capture of animals by human societies before written records. Weapons, traps, and cooperative methods shaped how people acquired animal resources.
Acheulean handaxe: A large, bifacially flaked stone tool associated with the Acheulean archaeological tradition. Its repeated form shows long-lived traditions of planning and stone shaping.
Archaeological record: The surviving material evidence of past human activity, including artifacts, structures, and environmental traces. It is the incomplete evidence from which prehistoric technologies are reconstructed.
Flint knapping: The controlled shaping of flint or similar stone by striking or pressing it. Knapping produced sharp edges and required learned sequences of precise blows.
Ground stone: Stone shaped or finished by grinding, pecking, or polishing rather than primarily by flaking. Grinding enabled durable axes, mortars, and other tools with distinct uses.
Prehistoric fishing: The capture of fish and other aquatic animals by prehistoric communities. Hooks, nets, weirs, and boats opened aquatic food sources.
Clovis points: Fluted stone projectile points associated with the Clovis archaeological culture of ancient North America. Their distinctive manufacture offers evidence of specialized toolmaking and cultural connections.
Use-wear analysis: The study of microscopic traces left on artifacts by manufacture, use, and damage. Wear patterns can distinguish an object's practical use from its shape alone.