Edge Damage Induced by Core Immobilization in Prismatic Blade Manufacture

Abstract

Error during obsidian prismatic blade manufacture resulted in blades with a distinctive pattern of edge damage. The damage, termed counterflaking, resulted from unintentional contact between blade and core immobilizing device during blade removal. Counterflaking has also been identified on prismatic blades from a prehispanic Mesoamerican core/blade workshop. Fuller understanding of the factors that produce counterflaking and govern its variation may allow its use in revealing specific details of prehispanic core/blade technology. Present data, however, are sparse and inconclusive, and additional data from other researchers are sought.