Write a short note on briefly describe any two stone tool making techniques with suitable diagrams.

Stone tool making techniques were crucial for early human populations, enabling them to craft tools for various tasks such as hunting, cutting, and scraping. Two prominent stone tool making techniques are the Levallois method and the blade technology.

1. Levallois Method: The Levallois method is a sophisticated technique for producing stone flakes of predetermined size and shape. It involves the systematic preparation of a core to facilitate the removal of flakes in a controlled manner. The steps involved in the Levallois method are as follows:

   • Core Preparation: A suitable core, typically a nodule of flint or chert, is carefully selected and shaped to create a striking platform and distinctive ridges or facets. These ridges serve as predetermined fracture planes for the removal of flakes.

   • Striking: Once the core is prepared, a skilled flintknapper strikes the core with a hammerstone or antler billet at a specific angle and force to detach a flake of desired size and shape. The force of the blow is directed towards the striking platform, causing the flake to detach cleanly from the core.

   • Flake Removal: The flake is carefully removed from the core, leaving behind a prepared striking platform for subsequent flake removals. The process is repeated iteratively, with flakes being detached in a systematic fashion until the desired core shape is achieved.

   • Final Products: The flakes produced using the Levallois method exhibit distinctive shapes, such as triangular or oval, with standardized dimensions and sharp edges. These flakes can be further modified and retouched to create various tools, including scrapers, knives, and projectile points.

2. Blade Technology: Blade technology involves the production of elongated, parallel-sided blades or bladelets from a prepared core. Blades are thinner and longer than flakes, making them ideal for tasks requiring precision cutting or piercing. The steps involved in blade technology are as follows:

   • Core Preparation: A suitable core, often cylindrical or prismatic in shape, is selected and prepared by removing flakes or bladelets from its surface. The core is carefully shaped to create platforms and ridges for the detachment of blades.

   • Blade Production: Using a specialized flaking technique, such as pressure flaking or indirect percussion, blades are detached from the core along predetermined fracture planes. The flintknapper applies force to the core's edge, causing elongated flakes to detach parallel to the core's long axis.

   • Blade Modification: Once detached, the blades are carefully trimmed, shaped, and retouched to refine their edges and tips. Blades can be further modified into specialized tools, such as knives, burins, or projectile points, by additional flaking or grinding.

   • Final Products: The blades produced using blade technology are characterized by their elongated shape, uniform thickness, and sharp edges. These blades were highly versatile tools used for a wide range of tasks, including butchery, woodworking, and crafting.

These two stone tool making techniques, the Levallois method and blade technology, represent significant advancements in prehistoric technology, reflecting the ingenuity and skill of early human populations in utilizing stone resources for tool manufacture.