Flintknapping – Making and Understanding Stone Tools

A revised edition of the go-to source for making stone tools; with more than 40,000 copies sold, this book is a must-have for experimental archaeologists and anyone seeking to understand ancient peoples. Flintknapping, the craft of making stone tools by hand, is a survival skill that everyone's ancestors needed to know. Today it is an art that fires the imagination and inspires appreciation for the ingenuity of our forebears. Flintknapping is also an essential component of experimental archaeology, the science of replicating objects and practices from the past, the better to understand the technologies, behaviors, and societies of the ancients. A manual for crafters of all skill levels, this new edition of Flintknapping updates John Whittaker's classic text with the latest insights from experimental archaeology. Detailed diagrams guide readers on the construction of durable and intricate stonework using the methods and tools of time immemorial, while also providing hands-on knowledge necessary for archaeologists. Alongside practical instruction, Flintknapping offers an introduction to a fascinating realm of human history. In clear, approachable terms, Whittaker outlines the role of stone tools in the biological and technological development of our species and sheds light on the ever-evolving archaeologist's trade.