Biface
Encyclopedia
In archaeology, a biface is a two-sided stone tool
and is used as a multi purposes knife, manufactured through a process of lithic reduction
, that displays flake
scars on both sides. A profile view of the final product tends to exhibit a lenticular shape (i.e., as a convex lens). Bifacial artifacts can be made on large flakes
or blocks, and may be grouped into numerous distinct classes.
While Class IV bifaces are referred to as "formalized tools", bifaces from any stage of a lithic reduction sequence may be used as tools. (Also, other biface typologies make five divisions rather than four).
industries that appear in what is now Southern Ethiopia around 1.4 million years ago, although some of the best examples come from 1.2 million year old deposits in Olduvai Gorge
. They are also known in Mousterian
industries. In North America, bifaces make up one of the dominant tool industries, starting from the terminal Pleistocene
and continuing throughout the Holocene
. For example, the Folsom point
and Clovis point
traditions (collectively known as the fluted points) are associated with Paleo Indians
, some of the first people to colonize the new world
(see Models of migration to the New World
). Further, biface technology is almost unknown in Australian prehistory.
Oldowan bifaces appeared sometime between 1.6 and 1.4 million years ago. They are most closely associated with Homo ergaster
. The average biface from H. ergaster was 15 cm (6 in), but some were as long as 30 cm (12 in). Unlike earlier stone tool technology, bifaces have three distinctive shapes; hand axes, cleaver
s, and picks. Hand axes were shaped like a tear drop, with two cutting edges and a sharp point. Cleavers were like hand axes, but with the point broken off and replaced with a cutting edge. Picks were thicker, more triangular bifaces. These three shapes are very uniform. For example, the ratio of the length and width of hand axes is fairly consistent across hand axes from this period. These bifaced tools were possibly used in five ways by H. ergaster.
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 is used as a multi purposes knife, manufactured through a process of lithic reduction
Lithic reduction
Lithic reduction involves the use of a hard hammer precursor, such as a hammerstone, a soft hammer fabricator , or a wood or antler punch to detach lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone called a lithic core . As flakes are detached in sequence, the original mass of stone is reduced; hence the...
, that displays flake
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...
scars on both sides. A profile view of the final product tends to exhibit a lenticular shape (i.e., as a convex lens). Bifacial artifacts can be made on large flakes
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...
or blocks, and may be grouped into numerous distinct classes.
Terminology
For the purposes of this article, four classes are defined :- Class I consists of large, thick bifaces reduced from cores or thick flakes; these are referred to as blanks.
- Class II consists of thinned blanks. While form remains rough and uncertain, an effort has been made to reduce the thickness of the flake or core.
- Class III bifaces may be either preforms or crude formalized tools, such as adzes.
- Class IV includes the finer formalized tool types such as projectile pointProjectile pointIn archaeological terms, a projectile point is an object that was hafted to a projectile, such as a spear, dart, or arrow, or perhaps used as a knife....
s and fine bifaces.
While Class IV bifaces are referred to as "formalized tools", bifaces from any stage of a lithic reduction sequence may be used as tools. (Also, other biface typologies make five divisions rather than four).
History
Examples of bifaces first appeared 1.6mya in the later Oldowan (Mode I), called the "developed Oldowan" by Mary Leakey, but became more abundant in mode II AcheuleanAcheulean
Acheulean is the name given to an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture associated with early humans during the Lower Palaeolithic era across Africa and much of West Asia, South Asia and Europe. Acheulean tools are typically found with Homo erectus remains...
industries that appear in what is now Southern Ethiopia around 1.4 million years ago, although some of the best examples come from 1.2 million year old deposits in Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge
The Olduvai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches through eastern Africa. It is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about long. It is located 45 km from the Laetoli archaeological site...
. They are also known in Mousterian
Mousterian
Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly flint tools associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis and dating to the Middle Paleolithic, the middle part of the Old Stone Age.-Naming:...
industries. In North America, bifaces make up one of the dominant tool industries, starting from the terminal Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
and continuing throughout the Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
. For example, the Folsom point
Folsom point
Folsom points are a distinct form of chipped stone projectile points associated with the Folsom Tradition of North America. The style of toolmaking was named after Folsom, New Mexico where the first sample was found within the bone structure of a bison in 1927....
and Clovis point
Clovis point
Clovis points are the characteristically-fluted projectile points associated with the North American Clovis culture. They date to the Paleoindian period around 13,500 years ago. Clovis fluted points are named after the city of Clovis, New Mexico, where examples were first found in 1929.At the right...
traditions (collectively known as the fluted points) are associated with Paleo Indians
Paleo Indians
Paleo-Indians or Paleoamericans is a classification term given to the first peoples who entered, and subsequently inhabited, the American continent during the final glacial episodes of the late Pleistocene period...
, some of the first people to colonize the new world
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
(see Models of migration to the New World
Models of migration to the New World
There have been several models for the human settlement of the Americas proposed by various academic communities. The question of how, when and why humans first entered the Americas is of intense interest to archaeologists and anthropologists, and has been a subject of heated debate for centuries...
). Further, biface technology is almost unknown in Australian prehistory.
Oldowan bifaces appeared sometime between 1.6 and 1.4 million years ago. They are most closely associated with Homo ergaster
Homo ergaster
Homo ergaster is an extinct chronospecies of Homo that lived in eastern and southern Africa during the early Pleistocene, about 2.5–1.7 million years ago.There is still disagreement on the subject of the classification, ancestry, and progeny of H...
. The average biface from H. ergaster was 15 cm (6 in), but some were as long as 30 cm (12 in). Unlike earlier stone tool technology, bifaces have three distinctive shapes; hand axes, cleaver
Cleaver (tool)
In archaeology, a cleaver is a name given to a type of biface stone tool of the Lower Palaeolithic.Cleavers are a little like hand axes. They are large and oblong or U-shaped tools meant to be held in the hand, but unlike hand axes, they have a wide, straight cutting edge running at right angles...
s, and picks. Hand axes were shaped like a tear drop, with two cutting edges and a sharp point. Cleavers were like hand axes, but with the point broken off and replaced with a cutting edge. Picks were thicker, more triangular bifaces. These three shapes are very uniform. For example, the ratio of the length and width of hand axes is fairly consistent across hand axes from this period. These bifaced tools were possibly used in five ways by H. ergaster.
- 1. Butchering hunted or scavenged animals
- 2. Digging for tubers, animals, water
- 3. Removing tree bark
- 4. Throwing at prey
- 5. Source for flake tools