Prehensile Wear on Flint Tools

Abstract

Microscopic functional research has mainly been focused on use-wear traces visible on working edges (active tool parts). Non-active parts have been largely neglected, although these parts may also carry traces worth exploring. Not only technological traces, but also prehensile traces can be observed, resulting from hand-held, wrapped or hafted use. Such traces have never been the object of a systematic study. Data are presented in this article that allow a differentiation of these traces on an experimental level.