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In archaeology
Archaeology

Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
, a lithic core is a distinctive artifact
Artifact (archaeology)

In archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human archaeological culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological endeavor....
 that results from the practice of lithic reduction
Lithic reduction

Lithic reduction involves the use of a hard hammer precursor, such as a hammerstone, a soft hammer fabricator , or a wood or antler Punch to detach lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone called a lithic core ....
. In this sense, a core is the scarred nucleus resulting from the detachment of one or more flake
Lithic flake

In archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure," and may also be referred to as a chip or spall, or collectively as debitage....
s from a lump of source material or tool stone
Tool stone

In archaeology, a tool stone is a type of stone that is used to manufacture stone tools. Generally speaking, tools that require a sharp edge are made using cryptocrystalline materials that fracture in an easily-controlled Conchoidal fractureal manner....
, usually by using a hard hammer percussor such as a hammerstone
Hammerstone

In archaeology, a hammerstone is a hard cobble used to strike lithic flakes off a lump of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. Often, a hammerstone is made of a material such as limestone or quartzite, is often ovoid in shape , and develops telltale battering marks on one or both ends....
. The core is marked with the negative scars of these flakes. The surface area of the core which received the blows necessary for detaching the flakes is referred to as the striking platform.






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In archaeology
Archaeology

Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
, a lithic core is a distinctive artifact
Artifact (archaeology)

In archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human archaeological culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological endeavor....
 that results from the practice of lithic reduction
Lithic reduction

Lithic reduction involves the use of a hard hammer precursor, such as a hammerstone, a soft hammer fabricator , or a wood or antler Punch to detach lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone called a lithic core ....
. In this sense, a core is the scarred nucleus resulting from the detachment of one or more flake
Lithic flake

In archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure," and may also be referred to as a chip or spall, or collectively as debitage....
s from a lump of source material or tool stone
Tool stone

In archaeology, a tool stone is a type of stone that is used to manufacture stone tools. Generally speaking, tools that require a sharp edge are made using cryptocrystalline materials that fracture in an easily-controlled Conchoidal fractureal manner....
, usually by using a hard hammer percussor such as a hammerstone
Hammerstone

In archaeology, a hammerstone is a hard cobble used to strike lithic flakes off a lump of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. Often, a hammerstone is made of a material such as limestone or quartzite, is often ovoid in shape , and develops telltale battering marks on one or both ends....
. The core is marked with the negative scars of these flakes. The surface area of the core which received the blows necessary for detaching the flakes is referred to as the striking platform. The core may be discarded or shaped further into a core tool, such as can be seen in some types of handaxe. The purpose of lithic reduction may be to rough out a blank for later refinement into a projectile point
Projectile point

In archaeology, a projectile point is an object that was hafting and used either as knife or projectile tip or both, commonly called an arrowhead....
, knife
Knife

A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of a handle attached to a blade that is used for cutting. Knives were used at least Stone Age, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools....
, or other stone tool
Stone tool

A stone tool is, in the most cave general sense, any tool made of Rock . Although stone-tool-dependent cultures exist even today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric societies that no longer exist....
, or it may be performed in order to obtain sharp flake
Lithic flake

In archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure," and may also be referred to as a chip or spall, or collectively as debitage....
s, on which a variety of simple tools can be made. Generally, the presence of a core is indicative of the latter process, since the former process usually leaves no core. Cores may be subdivided into specific types by a lithic analyst. Type frequencies, as well as the general types of materials at an archaeological site
Archaeological site

An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record...
, can give the lithic analyst a better understanding of the lithic reduction processes occurring at that site.