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Technology and Terminology of Knapped Stone - IRIT

Technology and Terminology of Knapped Stone - IRIT

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Fig. 73 — The stone-knapper's set <strong>of</strong> tools for pressure (J. Pelegrin). 1 : long crutch. 2 : contraption used<br />

for immobilizing the core during blade debitage. 3 : short crutch for bladelet debitage or for<br />

retouching. 4 : wooden grooved device. 5 : h<strong>and</strong>-held grooved device. 6 : flat s<strong>and</strong>stone<br />

pebble (used for abrading the edge <strong>of</strong> the pressure platform). 7, 8, 9 : antler tools for pressure<br />

debitage or retouching in the h<strong>and</strong>.<br />

PIQ UANT- TRIED RE. The traces visible on the<br />

extremity <strong>of</strong> a blade or bladelet when part<br />

<strong>of</strong> it has been removed by the microburi n<br />

blow techniqu e (fig. 33). In addition to<br />

part <strong>of</strong> a notch (whose removals always<br />

stem from the lower face 149<br />

), the "piquanttriedre"<br />

is characterized - as the name<br />

suggests - by a sharp extremity with three<br />

flat faces :<br />

(1) part <strong>of</strong> the lower face <strong>of</strong> the flake, blade<br />

or bladelet.<br />

(2) part <strong>of</strong> the upper face <strong>of</strong> the flake, blade<br />

or bladelet.<br />

149 Allowing for very few exceptions, which can be<br />

disregarded : microburins obtained by applying blows<br />

to the upper face can be counted on the fingers <strong>of</strong> one<br />

h<strong>and</strong> throughout the world.<br />

(3) the characteristic surface left by the<br />

removal <strong>of</strong> the microburin.<br />

We have given preference to this term,<br />

coined by E.-G. Gobert 150<br />

, over the rather<br />

vague "oblique point" commonly used by<br />

other French prehistorians <strong>and</strong> coined by<br />

L. Siret 151<br />

. The term "piquant-triedre" can<br />

however be criticized for not highlighting<br />

the microburin blow technique, the latter<br />

term being altogether unsatisfactory.<br />

PLAIN. See flat.<br />

PLUNGING. This denotes any remova l<br />

whose fracture plane, although normal in<br />

its proximal zone, arches sharply forward<br />

150 Gobert, 1955 : 229.<br />

151 Siret, 1924 : 123, caption <strong>of</strong> figure 6.<br />

149

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