Editing Lithic analysis (section)

==Materials==
Stone is the one category of material which is used by (virtually) all human cultures and, for the vast majority of the human past, is the only record of human behaviour. The end of [[prehistory]] does not signify the end of stone working; stones were knapped in [[Medieval]] Europe, well into the 19th century in many parts of Europe and the Americas. Contemporary stone tool manufacturers often work stone for experimentation with past techniques or for replication.

[[Flint]] and [[chert]] are the most commonly knapped materials and are compact [[cryptocrystalline]] [[quartz]]. The difference between the two terms is [[colloquial]], and flint can be seen as a variety of chert. In common usage, flint may refer more often to high quality material from chalky matrix (i.e. "chalk flint" as found in Britain) and chert refers to material from [[limestone]] matrices.<ref>Luedtke, B.E. 1992. "An archaeologist's guide to chert and flint". ''Archaeological Research Tools'' 7. Institute of Archaeology. University of California, Los Angeles. {{ISBN|0-917956-75-3}}</ref> To avoid this, the term "[[silicate]]" may be used to describe the family of [[cryptocrystalline]] quartzes that are suitable for knapping. As well as cryptocrystalline quartz, [[macrocrystalline]] quartz (both vein quartz and rock crystal) was a commonly used raw material around the globe.<ref>[http://www.lithicsireland.ie/phd_quartz_lithic_technology_chap_4.html Driscoll, Killian. 2010. "Understanding quartz technology in early prehistoric Ireland"]</ref>

In North America, Central America, and other places around the world, such as Turkey and New Zealand, [[obsidian]], or [[volcanic]] glass, was also a highly sought-after material for knapping and was widely traded. This is due to the quality of the stone, the razor sharpness of edges that can be created, and the fact that it fractures in highly predictable ways.

[[Soapstone]], or steatite, has been a popular rock for grinding and carving among many cultures worldwide. It has been used for production of such disparate items as vessels/bowls, pipes, cooking slabs, and sculptures.