Bipolar Technology and Pebble Stone Artifacts: Experimentation in Stone Tool Manufacture

This book examines bipolar technology in relation to the study of pebble stone materials. I initiated this research as little is understood regarding the manufacture of these materials, other than the general acceptance bipolar technology must be the predominant method applied, due to the small size of this material. Nevertheless, many researchers feel the bipolar technique is crude, poorly controlled and that it only supplies a marginal product, used only when other raw material was not available, a position to which I disagree. Considering the wide geographic distribution and frequency of use of pebble stone materials in the archaeological record it is unlikely that bipolar technology was thought of so unfavorably by pre-contact groups. Accordingly, this book presents my examination of bipolar technology through experimental replication using the bipolar technique, and my review of the manufacture and archaeological significance of pebble stone materials. The analysis should be especially useful to lithic professionals and anyone considering similar replicative work to further the understanding of our culture history.