Debitage variability among multiple flint knappers

Five flint knappers produced both multidirectional cores and early stage bifaces. The debitage assemblages were compared to evaluate if, and to what degree, the debitage created by one flint knapper varies from that of other flint knappers. The debitage from these reduction episodes was then analyzed with commonly used and replicable debitage attributes. Each knapper was evaluated in terms of his/her individual consistency, and the debitage produced was tested for each ratio scale debitage attribute to ensure that the variability found between knappers was not a product of variation within the assemblages of the individual knappers. The debitage from the individual flint knappers was found to be highly variable between knappers for both technologies.

Research highlights
► We analyzed the debitage created by both the production of early stage bifaces and multidirectional core reduction of five different flint knappers.
► This experimental study demonstrates that different flint knappers produce different sized debitage.
► One of these five knappers produces distinct debitage when reducing multidirectional cores.
► We demonstrate that knappers produce different frequencies of proximal flakes, flake shatter and angular shatter.