1. Identifying and Gathering Raw Materials

Stone Selection

• Look for these rock types:
  • Flint: Usually found near chalk or limestone deposits, has a waxy luster and breaks with conchoidal fracture
  • Obsidian: Black volcanic glass found near volcanic regions
  • Chert: Similar to flint but more varied in color
  • Quartzite: Hard metamorphic rock with a granular appearance
  • Basalt: Common volcanic rock, dark-colored and fine-grained

Learn more about stone selection and testing »

Collection Methods

1. Search riverbeds and stream banks where water has exposed stones
2. Examine cliff faces and rock outcroppings
3. Dig in gravel deposits where stones may be concentrated
4. Test stones by striking them lightly - good toolmaking stones produce a ringing sound rather than a dull thud

2. Basic Stone Tool Creation

Percussion Flaking Technique

1. Prepare your workspace:
   • Find a flat, stable surface
   • Gather your core stone (the one you'll shape) and a hammerstone (a rounded, harder stone)
2. Basic Flaking Process:
   • Hold the core stone firmly in your non-dominant hand
   • Strike the edge of the core at a 45-60° angle with the hammerstone
   • Apply quick, controlled strikes to remove flakes
   • Turn the core as you work to maintain a balanced shape
3. Creating a Hand Axe:
   • Select a fist-sized stone with at least one flat side
   • Hold the stone with the flat side against your palm
   • Strike along the edges to create a teardrop shape
   • Work systematically around the perimeter
   • Gradually refine the edge by removing smaller flakes
   • Test the edge periodically for sharpness

Detailed guide to stone tool creation techniques »

Pressure Flaking Technique

1. Materials needed:
   • A flake or partially shaped tool
   • A pressure flaker (antler tine, hard bone, or another stone with a pointed end)
2. Process:
   • Hold the stone firmly in your palm, protected by a leather pad if available
   • Position the tip of your pressure flaker on the edge at a 45° angle
   • Apply steady pressure until a small flake detaches
   • Work systematically along the edge to refine the shape
   • This technique creates finer, more controlled edges than percussion flaking

3. Essential Stone Age Tools

Choppers and Hand Axes

1. Creating a basic chopper:
   • Select a rounded cobble approximately 10-15 cm in diameter
   • Strike one end repeatedly to create a sharp, jagged edge
   • Leave the opposite end untouched as a gripping surface
   • Use for cutting wood, breaking bones, and digging
2. Refining a hand axe:
   • After basic shaping through percussion flaking
   • Use pressure flaking to create a symmetrical teardrop shape
   • Ensure the edges are sharp all around
   • Create a pointed tip for piercing
   • The wide end should fit comfortably in the hand

Complete guide to essential stone age tools »

Scrapers

1. Making a side scraper:
   • Select a flat flake with one straight edge
   • Use pressure flaking to create a 45-80° edge angle
   • The steeper angle makes it ideal for scraping hides or wood
2. Creating an end scraper:
   • Choose a longer flake
   • Shape one end into a rounded, steep edge
   • Leave the opposite end untouched for gripping
   • Ideal for preparing animal hides

Blades and Points

1. Producing blade flakes:
   • Prepare a core with a flat striking platform
   • Strike the edge of the platform to remove long, parallel-sided flakes
   • These blades can be used as cutting tools without modification
   • Or further shaped into specialized tools
2. Creating spear points:
   • Select a larger flake with appropriate thickness
   • Shape into a leaf or triangular form using pressure flaking
   • Create a tapered base for hafting to a wooden shaft
   • Ensure symmetry for proper flight when thrown

4. Fire Making Techniques

Percussion Method

1. Materials needed:
   • Iron pyrite (fool's gold) or marcasite
   • Flint or similar hard, sharp stone
   • Char cloth, dried fungus, or very fine, dry tinder
2. Process:
   • Hold the pyrite firmly in one hand
   • Strike it with a sharp edge of flint using a glancing blow
   • Direct the sparks onto your tinder
   • When a spark catches, gently blow to encourage the ember
   • Add progressively larger pieces of tinder as the flame grows

Complete guide to primitive fire making »

Friction Methods

1. Hand Drill:
   • Materials: Straight wooden shaft (spindle), flat wooden board (fireboard), tinder
   • Cut a small depression in the fireboard
   • Place tinder next to the depression
   • Spin the spindle rapidly between your palms while applying downward pressure
   • Continue until an ember forms, then transfer to your tinder bundle
2. Bow Drill:
   • Create a simple bow using a flexible branch and cordage
   • Loop the cord around the spindle
   • Use the bow to rotate the spindle more efficiently than hand drilling
   • This method requires less physical exertion than the hand drill

5. Basic Shelter Construction

Cave Selection and Improvement

1. Choosing a suitable cave:
   • Look for dry caves with good ventilation
   • Ensure the entrance is defensible and not prone to flooding
   • Check for evidence of animal habitation
2. Improving a cave dwelling:
   • Clear debris from the floor
   • Create a hearth area using stones to contain fire
   • Build stone walls to block drafts or partition spaces
   • Use branches and hides to cover the entrance when needed

Simple Constructed Shelters

1. Lean-to shelter:
   • Find a fallen tree or large branch as a support
   • Lean smaller branches against it at a 45° angle
   • Weave smaller sticks horizontally through the leaning branches
   • Cover with layers of leaves, grass, or pine boughs
   • Start from the bottom and work upward, overlapping like shingles
2. Pit house:
   • Dig a circular pit approximately 1-2 feet deep and 8-10 feet in diameter
   • Place poles around the perimeter, leaning inward to meet at the center
   • Tie the poles together at the top
   • Cover the framework with branches, grass, and soil
   • Leave an opening for entrance and smoke ventilation