Soft Hammer

The soft-hammer technique is a method of lithic reduction, also known as knapping. It was used in the manufacture of stone tools, especially during the Stone Age. Soft-hammer technique refers to the method of chipping a hard stone such as flint or obsidian by striking it with a softer, organic material such as antler, bone, or wood. A rod of the softer materials is used as a hammer to shape a stone core or to produce flakes or blades.

Soft-hammer technique was first used around 700,000 years ago in Africa in the context of Acheulean culture in order to produce a tool known as a hand axe.^{[citation needed]}

The hammer was light and could be up to almost a foot long. In direct percussion, striking the hard stone with the soft material in the process of debitage created small flakes that left smoother, shallower scars that were different from those produced by hard hammers of stone. Core- and flake tools produced with soft hammers had straighter, more uniform cutting edges due to the small serrations they created. These angles gave it a sharper edge as well. The softer materials were also easier to shape, making for more precise tools. With each hit, the soft hammer gets worn down more. A soft wood hammer such as one made of holly or oak will wear down faster than one made of antler or bone. Soft hammers typically are not well-preserved due to their organic nature.

Bone Manufacturing Techniques

Depending on the size and shape of the bone, it can be deformed in these different techniques: splitting, breaking, and grinding.

Breaking

The technique of breaking bones is the simplest way of deforming them. This is commonly done by using a hammerstone. After using the hammerstone, marrow was commonly extracted from the bone. The bones could also be cracked into sharp smaller pieces that could be used for scraping or picking.

Grooving and Splitting

By cutting grooves through the outer part of the bone, it outlines the intended cut into the spongy tissue underneath. The piece can then be easily freed to create the desired tool. The desired tool can also be soaked in water for a few days to soften the bone and make the grooving and splitting easier, and when it dries it will return to the original toughness.

Sawing, Drilling, and Grinding

Commonly, by using a bifacial stone or flake tool with serrated sides, the bone can be sawed into. After being sawed well into the bone, it can be broken by hand for the rest. Holes can be made into the bones by using stone drills. Grinding was done by using a sandstone abrader that could polish and sharpen the bone.

References

McGeough, Joseph A., and Richard S. Hartenberg. “Stone as a Material.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 16 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/hand-tool/Stone-as-a-material#ref424395.
Morrow, Toby. “The Office of the State Archaeologist.” Bone Tools | The Office of the State Archaeologist, archaeology.uiowa.edu/bone-tools-0.

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