The Organization of Chipped-Stone Economies at Piedras Negras ...

At Piedras Negras biface-reduction flakes were the primary microcrystalline quartz
cutting-tools, and cannot automatically be considered as waste from the production of
biface tools. That said, there is no firm evidence of the curation of bifacial flake-cores. It
is more likely that debitage removed during the production of bifaces and unifaces was
saved for flake tools.
This section describes the various kinds of flakes and other debitage that were
produced at Piedras Negras, and also the ad hoc tool technologies of multi-directional
flake cores. Although it is impossible to link every debitage type with a particular end
product, some general correlations between tool type and debitage type exist that allow
for an interpretation of debitage deposits. For example, a large, celtiform biface would
have a much different debitage “signature” than that of a small, laurel leaf biface.
Throughout the analysis of Piedras Negras debitage I recorded metric and technological
traits. I begin with a description of early-stage debitage types that cannot be attributed to
any one finished product, and continue with more specialized debitage types.
5.6.1: Nodules, Nodule Reduction Flakes, and Chunks
Although they are not very common, complete nodules were found at the site.
Nodules of local chert, imported, coarse-grained cherts, and imported flints usually are
elongated and oval in cross section. Locally or regionally available chalcedonies are
roughly spheroid in form. Large nodule-reduction flakes and cobble sections from these
materials reflect the structure and size of the original nodules. Whether nonlocal
materials were imported as cobble sections or as roughly prepared nodule reduction-
198