Chopper (archaeology)
Encyclopedia
Archaeologists define a chopper as a pebble tool with an irregular cutting edge formed through the removal of flakes
from one side of a stone.
They are crude forms of stone tool
and are found in industries
as early as the Lower Palaeolithic from around 2 million years ago. Later societies used a more advanced implement sometimes called a chopping tool
, which in some cases was refined into the more efficient handaxe.
Lithic flake
In archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure," and may also be referred to as a chip or spall, or collectively as debitage. The objective piece, or the rock being reduced by the removal of flakes, is known as a core. Once the proper...
from one side of a stone.
They are crude forms of stone tool
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric, particularly Stone Age cultures that have become extinct...
and are found in industries
Archaeological industry
An archaeological industry, normally just "industry", is the name given in the study of prehistory to a consistent range of assemblages connected with a single product, such as the Langdale axe industry...
as early as the Lower Palaeolithic from around 2 million years ago. Later societies used a more advanced implement sometimes called a chopping tool
Chopping tool
In archaeology, a chopping tool is a form of prehistoric stone tool, considered to be a refinement of the earlier chopper.Unlike the crude chopper, the chopping tool is created by removing flakes from two sides of a lithic core...
, which in some cases was refined into the more efficient handaxe.