Debitage

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The term debitage refers to the totality of waste material produced during lithic reduction and the production of chipped stone tools. This assemblage includes, but is not limited to, different kinds of lithic flakes, shatter, and production errors and rejects.

Debitage analysis, a sub-field of lithic analysis, considers the entire lithic waste assemblage. The analysis is undertaken by investigating differing patterns of debris morphology, size, and shape, among other things. Typically, debitage assemblages will differ depending on the presence and frequency of use of pressure and percussion reduction techniques. Debitage analysis provides information on past lithic technologies, trade and exchange, the organization of production, and the socioeconomic and cultural organization of past groups.

[edit] See also

• Midden