Abo Flintknapping Reduction Strategies
by
Rick Hamilton
Spirit in the Wind Enterprises
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| This platform is too large for a billet, the piece would probably break. I used a hammerstone to remove a small flake from the bottom on either side of the platform, which created a smaller one that I then removed with a billet. | Initial pressure flake removal to help regularize edge and also to set up more platforms for more percussion flake removal with a smaller antler billet. |
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| The biface after the target thickness has been reached. Percussion has been used almost exclusively to this point. I lost nearly half of the biface just prior to this due to a seam which is quite common in this particular material. | I prepared isolated platforms at this point such as the one above using an antler tine pressure flaker to regularize the edge and also to remove ridges and extra mass. |
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| Isolated pressure flaking platforms created by alternate pressure flake removal from each face while progressing unidirectionally down the edge. | The top half of the biface has been pressure flaked using the platforms shown in the previous photo, I now will create platforms on the bottom edge and pressure flake the remaining half of the face shown. Notice the percussion scar remnants on the bottom half. |
